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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24593986">Alter Fate's Design (Reddie - Tangled AU)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateSerpent8/pseuds/FateSerpent8'>FateSerpent8</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A little bit of Stozier subtext, Eddie is the lost prince, Eddie's got magic hair that glows when he sings, Inspired by Tangled (2010), Multi, Reddie, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, Stan kinda takes the place of maximus, Stanlon - Freeform, Stanlonbrough because I'm not a coward, Stenbrough, Tangled (2010) References, Tangled AU, aka mother kaspbrak, benverly - Freeform, but don't worry he's not a horse, flynn rider - Freeform, hanlon, stanlonbrough, the Snuggly Duckling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:55:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24593986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FateSerpent8/pseuds/FateSerpent8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddie Kaspbrak has been locked in a tower his entire life. He's known nothing but the walls around him and his limited view of the outside world for nearly eighteen years. Every morning he cleans his tower to keep it free of dirt and disease- things his mother had always warned would plague him if he ever stepped foot outside. The world out there was full of cruel and dangerous monsters, and he was far too delicate to survive their greed for power. He believed her because she was his mother. She knew best. But his faith in her faltered the day a handsome young man stumbled into his tower and changed everything he thought he knew about the world below.</p><p>In other words... A Reddie Tangled AU!<br/>This has been very fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it. I try to update frequently, but sometimes updates take longer than intended. (sorry!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Beverly Marsh &amp; Richie Tozier, Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier &amp; Stanley Uris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys! If any of you are returning from before I reuploaded this, I am very sorry about what happened. If you didn't read the summary, I did not delete the work, and it was taken down for being copyright claimed. I did edit some of the details so that it hopefully doesn't happen again, so it may be ever so slightly different from what you remember. I love you guys, and again, I'm really sorry about it getting taken down.<br/>And with that out of the way- enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once Upon a Time, long ago, in a land of princes and castles and mystical creatures, a single drop of sunlight fell down from the heavens. It descended, tinting the clouds pink as it passed, then hit the ground, in the middle of a dense forest. As soon as it touched the soft earth of the forest around it, the sun drop transformed to fit its environment and became a shimmering seed. As if by magic, the seed sunk down into the ground, and from that spot, sprouted into a single flower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, this flower was no ordinary flower at all. It had been a gift from the setting sun, and every inch of it pulsed with power. It was immune to all nature could throw at it. No matter how dark the night, nor how harsh the weather, the petals glowed, bright and steady.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One day, an elderly witch, seemingly as old as time itself, stumbled across this sacred flower in her search for a spell that would restore her youth. This witch was known as Mother Kaspbrak, and, among the mystical creatures of the woods, had a terrible reputation for greed and selfishness. Upon discovering this miracle from the sky, the Mother Kaspbrak rejoiced. Quickly, she conjured up a song, accessing the flower’s magic with her own. As she chanted out the lyrics, the flower glowed brighter still, thriving on this new magic being channeled through it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Flower gleam and glow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let your magic shine</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Make the clock reverse</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Restore what once was mine</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Heal the wounds that plague me</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alter Fates' design</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Save what has been lost</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Restore what once was mine,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What once was mine"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her raspy old voice turned into one as soft as silk as she sang, and her face, gray and wrinkles as it had been, was now smooth, and flush with color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Overcome with greed at her new discovery, the witch hid the flower with an enchantment, knowing she would need it again if she were to maintain her youthfulness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From then on, every few years, she would return to that spot in the forest and sing her song. She did this again and again, whenever she started to get wrinkles or gray hair. However, every time she used the flower, it took her less and less time to become old once more. This panicked her at first, but she decided that as long her flower was safe and secret, as long as she could continue to use its power, it didn’t matter how quickly she aged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when one day, when a group of royal guards found out about the magical plant and brought it back to their castle, the witch was furious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kingdom was in a panic. The queen was days away from having a baby, but she was deathly ill with an unknown disease and the king was offering a fortune to anyone who could find the cure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When word spread about an ancient legend- a flower that could cure any illness and heal any wound- the king desperately sent out all his troops of soldiers to search for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After days and nights of combing through the thick forest and finding nothing, everyone was starting to lose hope. The queen was on her deathbed, and there was no way she’d have the strength to give birth without either her or the baby dying in the process. So when they finally found it, gleaming at the top of a hill, they didn’t hesitate to dig it up and rush it back to the palace. What they hadn’t realized when they took the plant, was that old witch had been in the middle of using its power to keep herself young. In her hurry to flee from the troop of royal soldiers, she failed to recast her spell to keep it hidden, and her precious flower was now out in the open for all to see. She had watched in anguish as the soldiers pulled up the plant by the roots, ending all hope for her to still feed on its power.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The king used the shimmering petals to create an elixir that cured the queen. Soon after, she gave birth, and a healthy baby boy was born, with beautiful golden fuzz for hair. To celebrate, the king and queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. The kingdom was rejoicing, and for a moment, all was well in the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But not all good things last for long, and all too soon, that moment was brought to an end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Desperate for the return of her flower, Mother Kaspbrak broke into the castle to find her flower. What she found instead, was the small baby boy- still an infant- sleeping soundly in a crib.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon noticing the child’s unusual hair, she began chanting out the lyrics to her song, and to her delight, the golden strands began to glow brightly. Ever-so-carefully, she pulled out a small pair of scissors and snipped off a tiny portion of the boy’s hair near the nape of his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Delighted that she had regained the power to keep herself young forever, she planned to sneak back the way she came, and no one would ever know she’d been there. However, as she turned to leave, the shining strands in her hand suddenly changed to a dark chestnut brown. The skin clutching the hair wrinkled in on itself, and it soon began to spread to the rest of her body. Panicked, she resolved that the only way to get her flower back was to steal the child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kaspbrak scooped him up out of his crib and bundled him up in her cloak. Then she raced for the window as the boy began to cry, and before his parents could fully wake up, she was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The king and queen sent the entire kingdom to search, and they did. For days and nights, weeks, months- but their stolen prince was nowhere to be found. Little did they know that hidden away deep within the forest, was a tower, and in that tower, little Eddie Kaspbrak was being raised as Mother Kaspbrak’s son. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For years the boy wondered why his mother never let him go outside, and she would always tell him that the world was a cruel, dirty place, filled with monsters and disease and he was much too fragile to survive its horrors. So that’s why she kept him up at the top of a tall tower, away from the world, so that it could never hurt him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He understood. He believed her when she said she was keeping him safe, that she was only doing this to protect him. The world outside of his tower was cruel and dark, and dirty. So he never tried to leave. His tower was clean, and his tower was hidden, and as long as that was the case, he was safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the walls of the tower had a flaw- they couldn’t hide </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> from Eddie. Every year on his birthday, the king and queen would launch thousands of floating lanterns into the sky in hopes that one day their little lost prince would return, and every night on his birthday, Eddie saw them, drifting into the sky from across the forest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>CHAPTER 1</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stars.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what she had always called them.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They’re just stars, Eddie-bear, no different from any others.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>said</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he was certain that she was mistaken. He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> stars before. Every night, actually, except for when they were covered by clouds. There was no way these could be the same thing. These floating lights, unlike stars, which stayed stationary in the sky, only came out on Eddie’s birthday. When the sun set, they would slowly rise from the horizon and shine brighter than any stars he’d ever seen. And when dawn broke, the lights would disappear for another three-hundred and sixty-five days.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just three more days. Today, tomorrow, and then the day after that… I’ll see them. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Really </span>
  <em>
    <span>see them. Three more days.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie Kaspbrak lifted his heavy head away from the window sill as pastel pinks and orange began to stretch across the sky, lighting up the world below. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How can the world be dark and dirty</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Eddie thinks, swiping away the strands of hair that had stuck to his cheek when he had rested it on the sill, </span>
  <em>
    <span>when it’s full of things as pure and beautiful as a sunrise?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up, backing away from the window slightly to get a better view of the picturesque setting before him. Most mornings looked like this; the sun slowly rose above the trees, causing everything to become vibrant with color. The dark, earthy teal of the treetops became bright with green and yellow when hit by sunlight, and the sheer cliff faces surrounding him glowed with rich mahogany soil and orange clay. It was a gorgeous sight, to say the least, but every morning for months- maybe even </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span> now- he saw the world wake up and wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. Sure, he had an excellent view from the top of his seventy-foot stone tower, but he was going to go insane if he had to spend any longer without being able to feel the grass and dirt under his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, that wasn’t against the rules. It had never been allowed, and his mother had made very clear, over and over, that it would never be allowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed and turned away from the window. Trying to avoid the incredibly long of hair covering the stone floor, he made his way over to a closet and pulled out a broom. His mom had taught him very early on in life that the world outside was a nasty, dirty place. As much as he didn’t want to believe that, he just didn’t have enough experience to put out a valid argument. He had never been to the ground, and she had. Obviously, she knew best. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, she had told Eddie that as long as he kept it clean, he would be safe there, and would never befall sickness and disease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After doing his best to contain all of his hair in one corner of the room, he got to work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie followed his morning routine every day as if his life depended on it. Every single day he checked and rechecked that every surface was spotless. Every day he swept the floor until the stone slabs under his feet were completely void of dust or pollen that had been carried in by the wind. Each morning he would scrub the dishes from the night before, straighten the covers of his bed so that there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight, and wash all of his clothes, even if he hadn’t worn them since they were last cleaned. These were all things his mother had taught him to do from the moment he was capable of holding the broom correctly. She insisted that if the tower was always clean, the outside world wouldn’t be able to infect him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe that’s why he wanted to leave so badly. Maybe this longing for a new life, outside his tower, had floated in on some afternoon breeze. It had infected him with desire, trying to lure him out into the wild. Honestly, Eddie wasn’t trying to fight it, either. It felt natural, and it felt good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hours later, Eddie finally finished his morning chores, and not a speck of dirt remained. It was still morning, as he had started very early today, but rays of sunlight were now streaming warmly through the open window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hair was everywhere again, and Eddie sighed, gathering up and retiring to his room. With a shocking amount of disregard for his newly straightened sheets, he then hopped onto his bed and grabbed a book from the shelf next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had learned to read when he was four years old. With almost nothing else to do for his entire childhood except for clean, he had practically taught himself. His mother had helped him of course, but she had never taken any special interest in making sure he knew how. She must have known he’d be able to figure it out on his own, Eddie supposed. However, she was always a little hesitant when bringing him new books, and he’d never been sure why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With being cooped up in a tower his entire life, reading was Eddie’s best form of escape. It allowed him to explore places he’d never imagined actually exploring in person. In books, he could be anyone and do anything. With words, he was able to live someone else's life. He could get dirty, he could get hurt, and he would survive through all of it. In stories, he could go on epic adventures.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not only that, but through stories, he was able to experience other people. The only other person Eddie had ever known was his mom, and according to her, that was all he needed. He disagreed completely. After reading about other people and their relationships and interactions, Eddie longed for someone else to talk to, or do stuff with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that he didn’t love his mother. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> he did. Every single day he reminded her that he loved her more than anything else in his little world. However, his mom didn’t usually see things the same as he did. It was as if they spoke in different languages. Whenever he brought up a new idea about something in the world, she always immediately put him down. He was to accept the reality she’d brought him, and that was it. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The world is dark and cruel and dirty. In your tower you are safe. Never leave. Never ask to leave, because no good can come of it. You are fragile. You will get sick. Everything outside your tower has your worst intentions at heart, and that’s just how it is.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>For most of his life, he’d believed this. It had been his reality. But as he grew up, and finally started thinking for himself, he began to question the rules she’d set in place. Surely she didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> mean it when she said that he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> leave. Or that he couldn’t ask. Certainly, she had just been waiting until he was older. Now that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he could ask, and she would say yes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no way the world was as bad as she told him it was. She was concerned for his safety, sure. But clearly, she’d survived the dangers of the world, and now that he was almost eighteen, why couldn’t he? He knew how to take care of himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So this year, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to ask. He was going to ask to leave his tower and travel into the forest so that he could finally see the floating lights. That’s when he would prove to her, and himself, that they weren’t just stars. They existed for him. He just knew it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the meantime, as his mom was away for the morning, Eddie sat up on his bed and pulled out a brush from his dresser drawer. This was technically the last part of his daily morning routine, but he generally procrastinated actually doing it until he had nothing left to do. Finding the ends of his long golden hair, Eddie pulled them up onto his lap and began brushing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A tall, young boy, no older than age eighteen, balanced at the very top of the king and queen’s royal castle. His dark curls were swept away from his face by a gentle summer breeze, causing his freckled cheeks to be exposed to the morning sun. He smiled into the warmth of it all. This was a good day. He just knew it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gazed out over the rest of the castle, taking in the grandeur. “Oh, I wish I always had a view like this.” He puffed out his chest, imagining he owned the magnificent land around him. Imagining himself into a king. I’m his mind, he wore a crown and was draped in the exotic fabrics of a royal cape. One day he would be the wealthiest person in the kingdom, and everyone would respect him because of it. He wished that wasn’t the way it had to be; the rich getting all the choice and attention, and the poor suffering because of it, but the world wasn’t fair, and that was the way society had built itself. So if he had to take money from the people who already had more than enough, just so he could be loved, he would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A much larger man, known as Henry Bowers, glared at him impatiently. He, as well as his two associates, had agreed to work with the boy, as none of them were as nimble or stealthy as he was. Of course, this meant he was expected to split the profit between them, but he was determined to find a loophole around that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flynn-” one of them jeered, trying to hurry things along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy almost cringed at the name. He tried to tell himself he was proud of it, but he felt guilty not using his real name. He wanted people to like him for him, exactly the way he was, but that never worked, so here he was now. Flynn Rider was a name he’d stolen from a story his mom used to read to him when he was very young. Flynn Rider was a hero, who protected those who needed it, and saved damsels in distress. That was who the boy aspired to be. He just… wasn’t quite there yet. He was working his way up to it. Without money, he couldn’t do anything, so before he became a hero, he’d need to be a thief first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on…” he said, savoring the exasperated looks on the faces of the men around him as he took in the view. If they didn’t need him for this job so badly, they would probably kill him on the spot, but since they wouldn’t be able to pull this off without him, they would just have to put up with everything that came out of Flynn’s mouth.  “Yep, once we get this job done, I am totally getting a castle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Henry snarled and said through gritted teeth, “So let’s get the job </span>
  <em>
    <span>done</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn sighed and the four of them slid down the shingles of the roof, to an opening in the ceiling, directly above their target. Deciding not to waste any more time, he tied the end of a long rope around his waist and was slowly lowered into the room below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turns out, the room was considerably more empty than Flynn had expected. Only two guards stood, facing away from the precious jeweled crown that was resting on a velvet pillow in the center. This was going to be easy. Might as well have a little fun with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He descended slowly towards a priceless crown, holding his breath in the silent room so that the guards wouldn’t hear him breathing. This was the crown of the lost prince. It had been made at his birth, intended for him to wear when he had come of age. However, ever since his disappearance, the king and queen had kept it in its very own room, as if it were some sacred artifact. Flynn thought it was all sort of silly, how the king and queen </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> believed their son would return to them after all these years. The kid was probably dead. He’d been stolen as an infant, and, if he had survived by some miracle, </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> did not remember being born a prince. For all he knew, he could just be some poor village commoner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn was now only a foot away from the crown. He tugged on the rope quietly, signaling that he’d descended far enough. Then he reached out and grabbed the crown with long, nimble fingers, and silently slid it into the brown leather satchel hanging from his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the guards sneezed. Flynn looked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t do it don’t do it don’t do it-</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hay fever?” he asked quietly, giddy with the adrenaline of taking such a big risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” the guard answered, absentmindedly. It was only when Flynn had scampered halfway back up the rope that both of the guards realized that neither of them had spoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, wait! You get back here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Dammit, Tozier</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Flynn thought to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is a stealth mission!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He grinned like a maniac anyway as he clambered back through the hole in the roof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rider!” Henry snapped, “You useless trash-mouth, now they know we’re here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn smirked at him and the four of them made their way down from the castle as quickly as they could, “It’s no fun if we don’t get into a little trouble.” He was definitely a dead man if he didn’t shut up soon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh well</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they reached the ground, Flynn bolted in the direction of the forest. The three thugs followed behind him. “You know what? I’ll even let you guys be my guards when I’m rich and famous.” This was a lie, of course. Flynn intended to ditch the muscle of his group at the soonest given opportunity but might as well humor them while he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m going to do it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Eddie thought, finishing combing through the last of his hair. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m gonna ask her. Just as soon as she returns. Which should be soon. Really soon, actually. Wow, I feel nervous. Should I be feeling nervous? This is stupid, it’s just a question, of course I shouldn’t feel nervous.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Nevertheless, his leg bounced up and down restlessly as he waited for the sound of his mother’s voice from outside the tower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie-bear! Let down your hair!”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s just a question. Don’t expect too much.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming, Ma!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raced to the window with his bundles of hair and flung it out into the wind. The long strands unfurled on their way down, and the way the breeze whipped around it and tangled the strands together was definitely undoing his hard work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the base of the tower, his mother made a loop with the last few feet of hair, stepped one foot onto the end, and held on tight. Eddie pulled her up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Eddie, how in the world do you manage to do that every day? It must be so exhausting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, it’s uh, nothing, Ma,” Eddie said absently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I have no idea why it takes you so long,” she said in a dramatic voice. Eddie’s eyes widened, and he stumbled through his preoccupied thoughts, trying to think of an excuse. His mom laughed, “I’m just teasing you, sweetie, you’re doing fine. Just make sure not to hurt yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie let out a forced chuckle, shaking his head. “Uhh,” he started, shakily, “So, Ma. As you know my birthday is coming up soon, and I guess that’s a pretty big thing for me now that I’m older and stuff…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honey, I’ve been feeling a little run-down lately, would you mind singing for me?” She asked, clearly not paying any attention to what he had been saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Before continuing, Eddie shoved a curl of hair into his mother’s hands and sped through the song she had taught him long ago as quickly as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words fell rapidly from his mouth, and the strands of hair held in his mother’s hands began to glow bright. As soon as he finished, he barely had time to take a breath before he continued, “So, mother, as I was saying-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie,” she whined, “don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> that. You could hurt yourself talking that fast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie ignored her. “-In a few days I turn eighteen! Right? And I was wondering if maybe- like- because I’m getting older and stuff and I can pretty much take care of myself now- um, w-what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>want for my birthday-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie-bear,” his mother chided, cutting him off mid-sentence, “what did I </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> say about talking fast? </span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re mumbling too. Sweetie, I can’t understand what you’re saying when you speak like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a deep breath, suddenly very frustrated that it was taking him this long to get it out. “I really want to go see the floating lights!” He blurted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mother stared at him for a moment, seemingly shocked by this turn in the conversation. Then she shook her head slowly and tried to smile through her obvious disappointment in him. “You mean the stars? Eddie, you see those every night! That’s not much of a birthday gift.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie furrowed his eyebrows and followed her to the other side of the room. “No, Ma. I’ve seen stars. I know what they look like. These are different! I want to go and see the lights that come out on my birthday. I’m old enough to handle it, Mom, I know it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in his mother’s expression changed again as she set down her bag and turned to face him. “You want to go outside?” she asked, her voice no longer containing the hint of humor that had been there seconds before. Eddie knew before she said anything else that he was in trouble. Dread settled into the pit of his stomach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s no going back now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- yeah, Ma,” he breathed, exasperated, “I want to go outside.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her expression turned from shock to dangerous in an instant. “Eddie. We’ve talked about this. In this tower, you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Out there-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out there is a dangerous, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dirty</span>
  </em>
  <span> world, Eddie. You’d never be able to handle yourself out there. You are too delicate.” She towered over him intimidatingly. She wasn’t exactly tall, but still outgrew Eddie by a few inches, and in her current presence, he felt himself shrink a little, helplessly. “I should have known you’d want to leave eventually. That you would think just because you’re older you’re stronger too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, Mother, I know what’s out there-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO, you don’t. Eddie-bear, I know what the world is like, and I know for certain that it would destroy you. You’re fragile, Eddie. One step outside, and you would catch a disease. Then you would be sick and helpless, and the monsters would come for you. The people out there are </span>
  <em>
    <span>monsters</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They are full of nothing but selfishness and greed. If they find just </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> little drop of sunshine, they will take it for themselves and then destroy it. Trust me, the outside world is no place for someone as precious as you.” Eddie stared at his feet, defeated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few moments of shocked silence from him, his mother’s face finally softened and she wrapped him in a suffocating embrace. “Oh honey, I hate seeing you so distraught, but you know the rules.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Ma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, Ma.” He wrapped his arms around her, weakly returning the hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Eddie?” He pulled away, looking her in the eyes. He expected to see a worried expression crossing her features, but instead, he was frozen stiff by her stone-cold stare. As she said her next words and Eddie felt himself lose all hope of convincing her to let him leave. “Do not </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> ask to leave this tower </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s response was so quiet it was barely audible. “Yes, Mother.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, I want you to go to your room and fix your covers. They were supposed to be straightened when I got home, remember?” Rather than arguing, Eddie nodded and went back to his room. After a few minutes of silence between them and his mom rustling through the bag that she’d brought with her, she sighed. “I need to go back down to get some things, okay?” She called.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t say anything, but he readied himself at the window sill, creating a loop with the last few feet of his hair so that he could lower her down. She slung the bag back over her shoulder, after emptying a few things out of it, and then stepped up onto the sill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, Eddie,” she said, putting her foot through the loop and stepping out of the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Ma.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you soon, my flower.” The gentleness was back in her voice. He lowered her down, carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was safely on the ground, he let go of his hair and let it hang out the window. He sighed. “Yeah. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” As soon as she disappeared through the vines that hid the entrance to where the tower stood, he collapsed onto the window sill and put his head onto his arms. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, that was a mess. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Flynn Rider (aka Richie Tozier) is on the run from the law- and his best friend- and stumbles across a secluded tower in the middle of the forest.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>CHAPTER 2</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw shit, this is bad. This is absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” exclaimed Flynn, pausing next to a tree to catch his breath. On the tree, a wanted sign was nailed deep into the wood. It read: WANTED. Dead or Alive. Flynn Rider - THIEF</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It also included a drawing that looked almost exactly like him. Almost. There was just one thing off about the drawing, and he cringed at how awful it made him look. This was positively humiliating. He combed a hand through his black curls, squinting at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They keep getting my hair wrong!” He finally said, throwing his hands into the air in an exasperated gesture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who cares?” Grumbled Belch, one of Henry’s associates, giving him an annoyed look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, easy for you to say!” Flynn responded, now turning his attention to a similar poster. This one portrayed the three men next to him: The Bowers Gang. “You three look great in </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> pictures!" he said, ironically. To the general public, the Bowers Gang did not look ‘great’. All three of their faces were rugged and covered in scars, but at least their portrait was accurate. In the drawing, they all scowled menacingly, just as they all did now. A perfect bitch-face trio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s just go already!” Shouted Henry, “They’re going to catch up!” He rolled his eyes and tore down the posters, then continued into the forest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were on the move again, and pretty soon, he could make out the clopping of horse hooves somewhere behind them. After a moment, an arrow sped through the air and missed his head by half a foot. Alarmed, he led the group in a new direction, ducking under branches and through twisted trees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Where are you taking us?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have a plan!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They barreled into a small clearing that ended at the bottom of a sheer wall of earth. They skidded to a halt. There was no way they’d be able to climb it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What now?” Henry sneered, dangerously close to losing his patience.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, ok,” Flynn stammered, “If you lift me up there, I’ll help you guys up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The stomping of horses’ feet grew nearer by the second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The large man contemplated the offer for a moment, then said, “Ok. Give us the satchel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn stared at him in mock offense. “Huh- really? I have done so much for you, and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>still</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t trust me?” The three of them only glared back, and Victor, the other man who was working with Henry, drew closer, reaching for his dagger. The expression on Flynn’s face dropped immediately. “Fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took the satchel from around his shoulder and threw it over to Henry, who caught it, easily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>True to their agreement, Victor climbed on top of Belch’s shoulders, creating a way to climb to the top of the wall of dirt and stone. Then Henry climbed up the both of them like a ladder, nearly able to reach his own. Quickly, before they reconsidered their deal, Flynn scampered to the top within seconds. What the Bowers Gang didn’t notice was how easily he was able to snatch back his satchel as he climbed up. Can’t catch Flynn Rider, he’s too slick. Best thief in the kingdom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So when Henry looked up at him and snarled, “Now help us up, trash-mouth,” Flynn dangled the satchel above all of their heads and grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, boys, but my hands are full.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He then bolted away as quickly as his long legs could carry him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“RIDER!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed aloud, positively thrilled with the sudden turn of events. One little trick, one little slip of his hand, and the treasure was all his. He was going to be rich. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This tiny moment of euphoria was quickly ended, however, by the realization that the trouble hadn’t ended yet. The guards weren’t able to follow his path on their horses, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t being followed on foot. As he turned his head over his shoulder, he saw one of the royal guards climb over the ridge of the dropoff, sword in hand. As soon as he was up, he sprinted in Flynn’s direction, and he started at how fast the guard was. With one more glance back at the man in his pursuit, he realized something and focused his attention on getting himself the fuck out of there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite Flynn not being able to see for shit without his glasses (he had taken them off for the mission, as he didn’t want to accidentally lose them along the way), he had been able to recognize this specific guard. Light, dirty-blond hair that formed in curls around his head, plus the fact that this guard seemed avid on catching Flynn himself… well, he could put two and two together. He knew this guard personally. He’d known him for a very long time. Since they were kids. Stanley Uris. His best friend, Stan the Man. Well, they used to be best friends. Apparently, that ended as soon as they officially went their separate ways. Flynn had left his old life behind in favor of becoming rich and famous. Or maybe he had just been escaping a bad situation. His parents had never cared for him much, and his family never had enough food to go around. So he left them, desperate for a change. Desperate to take control of his life and prove that he was worth something. If that turned out to be a million-dollar reward on a wanted sign, so be it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley, on the other hand, had wanted to help people directly. He’d been raised in a much wealthier family than Flynn, in a large house, and always had enough money to live easily. Whenever Flynn’s parents failed to acknowledge their children’s needs, or his dad had too much to drink at a local bar, Stan’s house had always been his place of refuge. Stan’s parents were always sympathetic, but too worried about their reputation to consider doing anything to help, but Stan had grown up wanting to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> something. He’d had it easy, but so many people didn’t. He said that he needed to do a service to the world. That was why he enrolled in the royal guard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So now, according to Stan, they weren’t friends anymore. They couldn’t be friends anymore. Flynn was going against what he thought was right, so now they were enemies. Flynn wasn’t convinced. Every single time the two of them interacted, they always fell back into the same old rhythm. The man held a deadly sword that could end Flynn’s life in a second, but not in a million years did he imagine him actually using it against him. They still teased each other and made jokes, and Stan still pretended to hate his guts. In Flynn’s eyes, they were still friends. However, Stan was technically still doing his job, and most definitely wasn’t planning on letting him get away with the crown, so it might not be the best time for a friendly chat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, it had been long enough since they’d last crossed paths that Flynn had forgotten how fast Stanley was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rounded another corner in his zigzagging path, and Stan shouted behind him. He turned his head again to look at his old friend. Who was very suddenly getting way too close. Flynn yelped in surprise and kept stumbling forward blindly. “Stop!” Stan yelled again, advancing towards him, “Wait!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure, I’m not falling for that one Stanny-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, seriously- Rich-” Stan stumbled over his words, nearly out of breath as he got closer and closer to Flynn. He shook his head and faced forward again. That’s when he suddenly realized why Stan was trying so hard to get him to stop. The edge of a cliffside was nearly at his feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His legs stuttered beneath him, but his body didn’t come to a full stop quite in time. He tripped, and for a split second, he was falling forward, and the only thought going through his head was that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucked</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Then he stopped falling, very abruptly, because someone had reached out and caught the back of his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His legs became jello beneath him as he was finally struck with the intensity of what had just happened, and he went limp, leaving it up to Stan to pull him back to safety.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He swallowed and blinked rapidly, once he was back on stable ground, heart pounding adrenaline throughout his entire body. A nervous grin crossed his lips, and he laughed out a breath. “Oh my God. Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>God</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I just about bit the dust. Thank fuck you were here to save me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was expecting a playful quip in response, but instead, the cold, sharp tip of a blade was suddenly pressed lightly against his chest. “Cut the bullshit, Richie. Here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to hand over that crown, and then you will come with me willingly to the castle dungeon where you’ll serve years and years of prison time for your crimes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn let out a strangled, nervous laugh. For the first time, he was actually scared that Stan had changed. That Flynn had done something so unforgivable, that he might really hurt him. This is new. “And if I don’t?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan narrowed his eyes, face frozen in a glare. After a few moments of silent warning, Flynn began to panic. The thing about a panicked Flynn Rider is that he tended to make incredibly stupid decisions. Most of the time, they spelled trouble for him, but this turned out to be one of the rare times that it didn’t. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He winked to break the tension. At first, nothing. Then, Stan’s eye twitched, and he pursed his lips. Just that tiny change in expression, and that fear that had filled him seconds before quickly dissipated. Flynn grinned like a maniac. His very own Stan the Man was trying his hardest not to smile. And we’re back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are one lucky son-of-a-bitch that I caught you. If it had been any other guard, you would be dead meat right about now,” he said, lowering his sword.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno Stanny, that was kinda scary. For a second there you had me with that act. Have you been working on that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He almost grinned, sheepishly. “For this exact scenario.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww,” Flynn batted his eyelashes, jokingly, “all that just for me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Beep, beep, Rich.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pouted. “Stop ruining my fun.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley rolled his eyes and began pacing around. “Okay, listen. I came after you because I didn’t want you to get hurt-” Flynn tried to interrupt, but Stan cut him off with a wave of his hand, “- </span>
  <em>
    <span>however</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I’m still here to do my job, alright? I’m not returning to the castle until I have that crown.” His heart sunk a little, noticing that the friendliest part of their interaction was over. “Where have you stowed it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan tilted his head to glance at the leather satchel slung over Flynn’s shoulder. He nudged it with his sword.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s in there, isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn hesitated, and his mind started going a mile a second trying to come up with a plan. “Yes, it is,” he said, finally. “But I’m not giving it to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I figured,” Stan sighed. Then, to Flynn’s disbelief, he put away his sword.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha-?” He had started backing away but stopped in his tracks at this sudden twist. In fact, Stan took off his sword sheath entirely and set it carefully on the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at him in confusion, so Stan just remarked, “You asked for this, Tozier,” then he lunged at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had very little time to react, and it wasn’t until Stan was grabbing at his satchel that he realized what he was trying to do. Flynn removed the satchel from his shoulder and held it as far away from Stan’s reach as he could. Unfortunately, Stan was slightly taller than him, and it didn't take him long to get a hold on it, trying to wrestle it out of his grip. As he tried to lean away, pulling the satchel with him, he overbalanced, and both of them landed roughly on the ground. Flynn didn’t hesitate a bit and immediately started kicking and shoving with all his might in an attempt to keep the satchel away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ow!” Stan shouted through the fray. “You moron, just give me the damn bag!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Flynn shouted, trying to roll away, “I worked for this!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t mean- ow - that you can have it- hey!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What the two of them hadn’t noticed while they were rolling around in the grass playing keep away, was that they’d gotten dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. So, when Flynn tried to throw the satchel away from both of them so that Stan wouldn’t grab it from him, he accidentally sent if over the edge. As soon as they both realized what he’d just done, they scrambled over to the edge and watched, dumbfounded, as the satchel went sliding down the steep slope. Flynn swore under his breath, and Stan punched him in the side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Agh- What was that for!?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of forming a real response, Stan looked him dead in the eyes, said, “Nice going, dipshit,” then stepped over the edge himself. Flynn watched in astonishment as he too gracefully slid down the side of the cliff. Turns out the cliffside wasn’t a ninety-degree slope after all and was just about the perfect angle for someone to slide down it fairly easily. Why hadn’t I just done that earlier?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What he discovered when he went after Stanley and the satchel, was that they both made it look easy. He slid down a few feet, undoubtedly embedding tons of dust and dirt into his clothes as they scraped along the rough surface, then, managed to trip himself on a small, outcropping root that stuck out of the soil. From there, he stumbled down much faster than he anticipated, and his stomach flip-flopped. Heart racing, he tried to slow his descent, only resulting in full-on tumbling down the hill. The uneven terrain scratched up his arms and cheeks, as well as leaving what would likely be large bruises on his legs and abdomen, but at least he was going fast now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reached the bottom quickly, and rolled out onto the flat grass, unbearably nauseated from the spinning and tumbling. Nevertheless, he spotted the satchel on the ground next to him and grabbed the strap as Stanley joined him on solid ground. The chase was back on. Similar to before, the terrain was covered with tree roots and bushes and other obstacles, but it was darker in this part of the forest. Not by a lot, but the plants grew closer together, and the treetops overlapped more, causing considerably more shade. Flynn smirked. He considered himself an expert at traversing these woods and knew it would be easy for him to lose Stan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He twisted back and forth through the undergrowth, ducking through branches and climbing over boulders until Stanley grew further and further behind him. However, even when he managed to lose all sight of his frenemy, he could still hear him shouting, and he knew he couldn’t stop until they lost each other entirely. Flynn needed a hiding place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He reached a small clearing soon enough, that coincidentally, also ended in yet another cliffside. This one was much steeper than the other, as well as made almost entirely of stone. Spotting a thick growth of ivy vines clinging to the granite, Flynn went with his instincts and approached, intending on climbing it. To his surprise, the wall of vines gave way, and he stumbled through it as if it were a curtain of beads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Inside was a cave, hidden by the thick ivy, and, had he not messed with it, he would have never guessed it was there. This would do perfectly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not long afterward, he heard Stan come stomping into the clearing, breathing heavily. “Rich- Richie?” His gasping indicated he was out of breath. “Listen, wherever you went, I seriously need you to reconsider stealing that crown. You know you’re going to end up the most wanted criminal in the kingdom, right? Aside from the kidnapper of the lost prince.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn resisted the urge to quip back at him and instead, barely breathed, keeping as quiet as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, please? I won’t even bring you in. Just give me the crown, and we’ll be done. I’ll tell them you managed to escape.” He waited. When he continued, his voice drew further and further away. “Richard Trashmouth Tozier, I am not leaving this forest until I retrieve that crown, got it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn nearly laughed out loud at hearing Stan use his full name. Honestly, this whole interaction was a nice break from pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Maybe that’s why he had drawn it out as long as he had. He missed being Richie Tozier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waited for a full seven minutes before Stan’s voice was completely out of earshot. When he finally couldn’t hear him any longer, he let out a breath and stood up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking around the cave, he noticed that it wasn’t as small as he’d thought it was. In fact, he walked along the stone wall, noticing a light from deeper inside, this isn’t a cave at all. It’s a tunnel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he reached the point where the tunnel let out, his jaw dropped. There was a large, sunny clearing on the other side. Much larger than the one he’d come from. There were only a few trees scattered around the place, and the clear sky reflected off of a small pond on one side. The entire place was surrounded by vibrant stone cliff faces. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was in the very middle where the most brilliant addition to this hidden paradise stood, though. As if it had been there since the beginning of time, a single castle tower stood, vines and ivy similar to what kept the place hidden slowly consuming it into the environment. It was stacked from hundreds of weathered stone bricks, and it was a wonder the thing had stayed verticle for so long. He was almost convinced it was being held together by magic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nearly forgetting about how he ended up there, Flynn wandered towards the place, entranced by the mysteriousness of it all. When he reached the base, he put his hands to the patches of cool, bare stone peeking between the vines that twisted around each other. Not entirely knowing what he was doing or why he was doing it, he began to climb. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn was an excellent climber. He’d climbed trees throughout his childhood, and with his long, dexterous limbs, it seemed to come naturally to him. Grabbing onto the intertwining plants, he hoisted himself up quickly, and before long, he was over halfway up to the large window at the top. The closer he got, though, the more sparse the foliage got, and the ascent became more challenging. Just a few feet from the top, all of the vines strong enough to support his weight were entirely gone, and he clutched tightly to the jagged edges of the bricks. He nearly slipped once, his foothold giving out under him momentarily, and his heart skipped a beat. After that, he hugged himself to the bricks tighter than he ever had before, most likely scratching up the tips of his fingers as they scraped on the coarse surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, he brought himself up and over the small wooden ledge leading into the window, and sighed as he collapsed onto the smooth floor inside. He stayed there a moment, catching his breath, eyes closed. Relief surged through all of his limbs, and he pondered taking a nap on the cool stone beneath him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He eventually sat up and looked around, finding himself curious at his surroundings. The inside of the tower was in no way nearly as battered at the exterior. It actually looked like quite a nice living space. Everything was spotless, and a nice lavender shaded rug sat dead center, surrounded by a variety of small cushioned benches and rocking chairs. The walls were also painted lavender, covered in swirly designs that looked like ivy. The higher he looked, the more intricate the paintings got. Swirls, flowers, birds and lizards, and up at the very top, the paint faded into dark indigo, which he swore was covered in stars. It was difficult to tell though, as that area was covered in shadow. The only light appeared to be coming from the window that he had just entered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It also appeared that there were a few more rooms in the place, but Flynn decided that he would check those out later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He slid the satchel off his shoulder, and carefully pulled out the crown. This was the first time he was completely alone with no one else trying to take it from him, and now that he had time to inspect it, he was able to appreciate the details. Polished gems were woven through the golden material making up the structure, which twisted and wove into beautiful braids. It was gorgeous, and, had it not been worth more than a fortune, he would have considered keeping it for himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps if he’d waited a little longer before focusing his attention on the crown, it would have clicked into place in his mind that the room was absolutely too clean for the tower to be uninhabited. It probably would have occurred to him that someone must be there to keep it from collecting dust and deteriorating over the years. However, Flynn had experienced quite the exciting morning, so forgive him for not noticing the short figure stepping up behind him. A loud clang echoed around the room, along with a strong impact with the back of his head, and his vision suddenly went dark.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eddie is unsure of what to do when a strange man hauls himself through his window sill while Eddie is painting.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>CHAPTER 3</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie had been perched high up on a support beam when a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump</span>
  </em>
  <span> echoed around the tower. He had been working on a painting near the ceiling, where the lavender walls faded into stars. Up there, he knew he could paint pretty much anything he wanted, and his mom would never be able to see it. That’s why, before the alarming sound caught his attention, he had been painting himself, sitting upon a canopy of trees, watching the floating lights spread out into the night sky. The unexpected noise had startled him so much, however, that he nearly screwed it all up and fell off of the wooden beam. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucky for him, he was well hidden in shadows, because when he saw what had crawled through the window and made the thumping noise, he nearly had a heart attack. It was a human being. He sat there, shocked, because other than his mom, he had never seen another human in real life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the person had come in through the window, they had collapsed on the stone floor immediately after entering. Eddie wasn’t sure what to make of it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s a person in my tower. There’s a person in my tower. There’s a person </span>
  </em>
  <span>in</span>
  <em>
    <span> my </span>
  </em>
  <span>tower</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span> After a moment they stirred again and got to their feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silently, Eddie slid down his hair back to the floor, heart beating at a million miles a second, and tiptoed over to where he kept his cooking supplies. He was going to need a weapon, in case this person had malicious intent. (according to his mother, all humans did, but he wasn’t sure that he believed her. Still, best to take precautions.) </span>
  <em>
    <span>What </span>
  </em>
  <span>do</span>
  <em>
    <span> they want? Are they here for me? They must be, why else would they come here? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He briefly considered the thought that maybe his mom was in trouble, and began to panic at the idea of being left entirely alone in his tower for the rest of his life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He randomly selected a frying pan from one of the cupboards and began to approach the unknown being. They had their back turned, and Eddie was still in the shadows, but he was still terrified that the person would sense him coming first. Holding his breath, he stepped out into the light, until he was barely two feet away from them. In close proximity, Eddie noticed how much taller the other person was compared to him. Tall and thin, and probably stronger than he was. He was fairly certain that if they wanted to, they would easily be able to overpower him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He clutched the pan tighter as he noticed the person pull something out of their brown leather bag. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It might be a weapon.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lifted the frying pan over his head and swung.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>CLANG!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie leaped back and watched the person fall to the floor. He froze, wide-eyed, and stared in wonder at the still body. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I did it,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought,</span>
  <em>
    <span> I think? Maybe I killed them? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Very carefully, he reached out the arm holding the pan and poked them with its handle. Nothing happened. He nudged them again with a bit more force. Still nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped forward, towards the person collapsed on his floor, and walked over to the other side to get a better look. His eyes darted to their chest. Relief flooded through Eddie’s veins when he clearly noticed it moving up and down, indicating that they were still breathing. He was determined to prove to himself that his mother was wrong about the world and about people, and there was no way he could do that if the only person who had visited his tower </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> was dead by his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally letting out his breath, Eddie relaxed a little and knelt down next to the person. They appeared to be male, based on Eddie’s understanding of human anatomy, and he had to admit, they weren’t nearly intimidating now that they were unconscious on the floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy, decidedly, had beautiful hair in his opinion. That was one of the first things he noticed about him he was no longer a threat. Instead of long, thick golden strands, like Eddie’s hair, this man’s hair was similar to the hair of people he saw in illustrations in his books; short and dark-colored. He absentmindedly reached out and grazed the soft curls with the tips of his fingers in awe. He retracted his hand quickly afterward though, remembering all that his mother had told him about the outside world. It was dirty and evil. And the person lying on the ground before him was a part of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie scrunched up his face, feeling somewhat guilty for even approaching the boy. It went against everything his mother had taught him. And yet, so did what he was seeing before him. According to her, people were hideous, evil monsters, full of greed, and hatred. As he thought about it, a realization dawned on him. This man wasn’t hideous or dirty or evil. The expression on his face was downright peaceful. So if </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was part of the outside world, mustn't that be gorgeous and peaceful too?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Quickly, he reached out again and touched the boy’s face. The skin was soft and warm from soaking in rays of sunlight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Gently, he pushed back the boy’s upper lip with his thumb. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not even sharp teeth. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His eyes widened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No demon horns. No angry expression. No unblinking snake-like eyes, and totally normal teeth. Like the ones he had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood back up, really taking in the person sprawled out in front of him for the first time. His mother was wrong. People were okay. At the time of his arrival, Eddie had seen him as nothing but a threat. A monster like the ones in his stories, here to kidnap him, or kill him, or cook him alive. But now, after what he saw in front of him, Eddie knew that this person couldn’t much different from him at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, appearances aren't everything, and he would have to talk to him first before making his final conclusions.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>… </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The very first thing Flynn Rider noticed when he woke up was the throbbing pain at the back of his head. The second thing he noticed, as he attempted to reach up and find the source of his discomfort, was that he couldn’t move his arms. They were tied firmly down to the arms of a wooden chair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no oh no oh no-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alarm began to overtake his system, and he forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s no time to panic. If you panic, you can’t think rationally.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Once he’d calmed himself enough to think logically, he glanced around to get his bearings. He was still inside the tower, and from what he could see, no one else was there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That can’t be true, because </span>
  </em>
  <span>someone</span>
  <em>
    <span> knocked me out cold and tied me to a damn chair.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soft footsteps sounded behind him, and he craned his neck back, trying to catch a glimpse of his captor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello? Who are you?” He struggled against his bindings. “Where- hey! Where’s my satchel?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If they had stolen his satchel, he was in big trouble. Not only did it contain a priceless crown that he planned to sell for a fortune, but it also happened to be where he had stashed his glasses. He felt a little silly for holding them on such a high pedestal in his mind, especially compared to the crown, but in all honesty, he really did need them to see. In the middle of action, he was alright with only being able to make out distinct features from a few feet away, as generally, the tiny details weren’t as important. But in a situation like this, he felt defenseless without them. He wouldn’t even be able to clearly see his captor’s facial features unless they got very close, which, ninety-percent of the time, spelled bad news for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The person asked before Flynn could repeat himself. He nearly froze in puzzlement at the voice. It wasn’t the tough voice of some rugged bounty hunter, or the sly tone of a crazy witch who’d caught him in their trap. It was the acute, nervous voice of a boy. Most likely a young man. Flynn fumbled over the possibilities in his mind. “How did you find me?” The voice asked again, and now he heard his light footsteps coming around to the front of the chair. As the boy stepped into the sunlight, he squinted, trying to bring him into focus. Flynn was at a complete loss for words. Even though his vision was blurry, he was still amazed by what he saw.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy standing before him, chest puffed out and frying pan in hand, had the longest hair he had ever seen. The golden-blonde mass went all the way down to his heels, and didn’t stop there. It trailed along the floor smoothly, shimmering in the light, until he couldn’t see it anymore because it went back into the shadows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t even try to hide his gaping. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sure people stare at him wherever he goes. He’s probably used to it, </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aside from the hair, Flynn strained his eyes to make out other features of the boy. He had dark eyebrows that stood out against his pale skin, and he was wearing some kind of lavender colored top and brown shorts. From what Flynn could see, he also lacked any shoes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately getting distracted from the urgency of the situation, Flynn opened his mouth again and put on one of his voices. Changing his expression to be as dramatic and poetic as he could muster, he said, “I know not who you are, nor why fate hath chosen us to meet, but may I just say-” like magic, he dropped the act in a fraction of a second, “Hi. How are you doing? The name is Flynn Rider,” he grinned. “You come here often? I mean, this is a pretty nice tower, and I can’t imagine it got this gorgeous all by itself.” He winked. “I could say the same about you actually, but I won’t be able to tell for sure until you give me my glasses. So, where are you from? Because boy, I gotta tell ya-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop.” The boy cut him off, quite taken aback. Flynn raised his eyebrows. “What are you even-  I mean, how did you-” he sighed. “Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I want is for you to tell me who you are exactly, and how you found my tower.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn huffed out a frustrated breath. The act hadn’t worked. “Listen, I told you, my name is Flynn Rider. The satchel you took from my unconscious body? That belongs to me. I would really appreciate if you gave it back. There are some valuable things in there, and it would really suck if-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not getting your bag back until you tell me why you’re here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look. Like I said, there is something extremely valuable in that satchel. Certain people want it from me. Said people were chasing me through the forest, so I needed somewhere to hide. I saw this tower and I climbed it. End of story.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy furrowed his eyebrows. After a moment he stated, “I thought you said there were valuable </span>
  <em>
    <span>things</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the satchel. Not just one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well aren’t you a stickler for details,” Flynn mumbled under his breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing. Um, yes, I did say </span>
  <em>
    <span>things,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but the thing is- you know what, could you just give me my glasses? Once they’re out of the equation all this confusion will clear right up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that some sort of weapon?” The boy edged closer suspiciously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn stared at him, exasperated. “You… don’t know what glasses are?” Just a confused look in response. “Okay, okay. Glasses are not a weapon. They are something I put on my face so that I can see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy peered at him in bewilderment. “You can’t see?” He sounded skeptical.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why is this so difficult?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “No. I mean- yes.” the boy opened his mouth to speak but Flynn didn’t even let him begin, “Yes as in yes I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why do you need ‘glasses’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t tell whether to be frustrated or amused. “Because I can’t see </span>
  <em>
    <span>very well</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Okay? Okay. So just give me my glasses and we’ll be done with this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” the boy snapped, but as he turned his back to go retrieve the satchel, Flynn caught a glimpse of a tiny little smirk playing on his face. His jaw dropped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He was fucking with me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thought, amazed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>You little shit. You know perfectly well what glasses are, don’t you? You knew what you were doing the whole time.</span>
  </em>
  <span> At that moment Flynn Rider fell just a little bit in love with the short boy and his dark brows and his snarky sense of humor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Moments later the boy returned and delicately slid Flynn’s glasses perfectly into place. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. And would you look at that. He’s got adorable freckles too. How dare he.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was as if Flynn had completely forgotten how nice it was to be able to see things properly. Every blurry shape surrounding him suddenly had a clean, crisp outline, and when he looked up, he could see that there really were stars painted on the ceiling. He was able to see into the shadows now too, as they were no longer made up of indistinguishable dark shapes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that better?” the boy asked, taking a step back and raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It absolutely is. You are a life-saver, Blondie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy frowned. “It’s Eddie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie? Can I call you Eds?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about Spaghetti?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spaghetti?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, like ‘Eddie Spaghetti’. It rhymes!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie squinted at him. “Uh, no. How about just Eddie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn grinned widely. “Whatever you say, Eds.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “By the way, do you think you could untie me now? I think we’ve pretty well established that I’m not a threat to you, so-” he was struggling against the bindings again when he realized something he hadn’t noticed before, “is- is this </span>
  <em>
    <span>hair</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie tilted his head and leaned back on his heels, probably wondering how he hadn’t noticed sooner, “Yeah…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your hair?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm-hm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck? How is it so long? Jeez!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped forward again. “So I’m guessing you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> here for my hair?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn gaped at him, “No! No, of course not? Why would I want your hair?  Literally the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing I want with your hair is to get out of it. Plus, didn’t I already tell you that I’m here because it looked like a good hiding place?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought you might be lying,” Eddie shrugged. Then he came closer and Flynn nearly cried out in relief as he began to untie his arms and legs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he was finishing unwrapping his torso, a new voice suddenly drifted up from outside the tower, and Eddie jumped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie-bear!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He went completely rigid. “Oh no.” Finishing as quickly as he could, he practically shoved Flynn out of the chair and away from the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, what’s going on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhh, no time. Just hide somewhere,” then he shouted, “Coming, Ma!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His mom?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Where?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t care, just- you know what? You see that closet over there? Good. Hide in there, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t come out</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ay-ay, captain!” Eddie barely spared him a confused glance before racing to the window and throwing down his hair. Flynn didn’t see anything else after that as he had just shut himself in a closet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow. Literally this time. This is fun.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie glanced over his shoulder one more time to make sure Flynn was in the closet, before pulling his mom up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got a surprise for you, sweetie!” she said when she reached the sill.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled nervously, helping her to the floor. “Uh, I do too, actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet my surprise is better!” she smiled, patting him on the head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I honestly, really doubt that… </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I brought back lemons and sugar so that I can make your favorite lemon cake for your birthday! Surprise!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled at the consideration, but bounced on his heels impatiently. “Uh, yeah, that’s great! Um… So mother, there’s something I want to tell you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh Eddie,” she said, setting down her basket, and wrapping him in a suffocating hug, “you know I hate leaving you when you’re upset at me. Especially when I didn’t do anything wrong!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, huh, um- so…” he carefully pried himself from her grip, “So I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dearly hope that you’re not still hung up on those stars,” she sighed, moving her basket over to the kitchen, and unloading the things she’d gathered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yes, it’s got something to do with that, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I really thought we’d agreed not to discuss that issue anymore.” As calm as her words were, Eddie could sense her anger boiling just beneath the surface. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should stop.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He approached the closet and decided to keep going.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Ma, I’m just saying, I know that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m not strong enough to handle myself-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh sweetie, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a fact that you’re not strong enough to handle yourself out there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if you would just-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She cut him off again, a dangerous tone leaking into her voice once more, “No. Eddie, we are done talking about this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you just give me a chance,” he pleaded, touching the handle of the closet door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie.” She turned to him sternly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know what I’m capable of-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lost his patience. “Oh, come </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span>! You’ll see! Just-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie heard Flynn start whisper something from inside the closet, but suddenly everything else was drowned out by his mother’s shouting. “Shut up about the lights, Eddie! You are not leaving this tower! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ever!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Silence filled the wake left behind by her words. He couldn’t even hear the birds that usually chirped right outside the window. He stared at her, shocked. In all of his life of living in his tower, he had never heard her yell at him like that. Not until now. His eyes started watering, and he thought he might start crying. She sighed, heavily. “Wonderful,” she moped, collapsing down onto the nearest cushioned chair, “now </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> the enemy.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>She</span>
  </em>
  <span> might start crying. It was a tactic she used rather often. Usually when they got into a serious argument, she would end the conversation in big crocodile tears, usually gaining his sympathy and apology. Eddie knew it was something she did on purpose, but it worked almost every time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lowered his hand slowly, abandoning the closet, and shuffled over to his mom, head bowed. He was curling back in on himself, becoming as small as possible. He brought as much innocence into his voice as possible as he squeaked, “I was only gonna say, mother, that, um… I think I know what I want for my birthday now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at him in defeat. “And what could that be?” Her voice had mostly drained of the sternness it had held moments before, but some of the frustration still lingered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um,” he answered, fidgeting with his hands, “maybe some new paint? I really liked that paint you once brought- the ones made from the shells?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed again, this time more resigned. “That’s a very long journey, Eddie-bear. Almost three whole days.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just thought it was a better idea then the… stars.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiled weakly, clearly relieved that he’d finally given up. “Are you sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Ma. I know that I’ll be safe, as long as I’m here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s right.” She got up and went back to her basket, packing it with supplies for the journey. A while later she said, “You know, I’m proud of you for making up your mind.” Eddie nodded. Then, once she was finished, she went to the window sill, and he made a loop with his hair. “I’ll be back in three days.” She hugged him with one arm. “I love you, dear.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you more,” he said, lowering her down. When she reached the bottom, she waved up to him, and he waved back. Then he watched as she crossed the clearing, and disappeared through the stone tunnel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a bitch!” Eddie nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Flynn’s voice directly behind him. Without thinking, he turned, and threw a punch. “Ow! Hey! What was that for!?” Now the tall boy was doubled over in pain, and Eddie immediately felt guilty.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry,” he said, pursing his lips. As bad as he felt though, he couldn’t help the laughter that crept up his throat as he watched Flynn dramatically take a step back, exasperated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well now I know never to sneak up on you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I told you not to come out. How did you even know she was gone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn shrugged, quickly recovering, “I took a calculated risk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a pause, Eddie asked, “what does that even mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Calculated risk?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. What did you mean ‘bitch’?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn laughed, nervously, “Oh? Nothing. She’s just kind of… controlling? Like, she won’t even let you make your own choices.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re calling my mom a control freak?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Weeeellll… I mean, not to be presumptuous, but based on what I heard-” Flynn looked into Eddie’s eyes and must have noticed the murderous glint because he continued cautiously, “okay, hear me out. She’s not treating you right. You want to leave, correct? But she won’t let you. So you can’t let her control your life. I mean, you’re grown up now, she can’t tell you what to do anymo- hang on, have you been up here your whole life!?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn turned away from him and combed a hand through his black curls. Eddie tried not to be distracted by the gesture. “Holy shit,” Flynn mumbled to himself. “You have got to get out of here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie smirked. “That’s why I just sent her on a three-day trip.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn grinned back at him. “I’m so proud of you, Spaghetti! Now we can both go our separate ways, and we can both get what we want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually,” he pulled the rest of his hair back through the window, “you’re coming with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna- wait, what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t just go alone. I’ve literally never left this tower. So, you are going to take me to where I want to go. Follow me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A few moments later, Eddie had thrown his hair up and around the wooden beam from before, and both of them climbed up. It took them a minute to adjust to the dimmer lighting, but once they did, he could see Flynn’s expression turn to amazement. “Wow. There is so much more up here than I thought. Did you paint… </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Eddie said, watching his eyes dart around the ceiling, finding all the little details, “There’s not a whole lot to do up here, so I’ve spent years painting these walls.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s amazing, to say the very least.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His cheeks flushed. Eddie had never really been complimented on his painting skills before. Or anything he did, really. “Thanks, I guess.” Shaking his head, he directed Flynn’s attention over to the painting he’d been working on earlier. “This is where I’m going.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at it curiously, and Eddie wasn’t sure what to make of his enthusiasm. The feeling of having someone actually appreciate his work was new. After a moment Flynn asked, “Isn’t that the lantern thing they do for the prince every year?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lanterns?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I knew they weren’t stars!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the glowing lanterns that they launch into the sky for the lost- oh right. You wouldn’t know about that.” As he spoke, a pondering expression fell over his face, and Eddie wondered what he was thinking about. As if reading </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> mind, Flynn said, “Whatever. Doesn’t matter. You were saying?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well,” Eddie continued, tentatively, “every year on my birthday, these… lanterns appear in the sky. I can’t help but think they have something to do with me. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as you so fortunately found your way into my tower, and you presumably know your way around the outside world, you are going to take me to go see them for real.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn’s eyes widened at this and he mouthed the word ‘oh’ without actually saying anything. Then, as if coming to a sudden realization, his expression changed entirely, and he began to look for a way down. “Yeah, about that Blondie-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s Eddie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-look. I’m not taking you anywhere. Yes, I think you should totally go out there and disobey your mom while she’s gone for a few days, but I shouldn’t help you with that. You’re on your own with that one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No! You’re coming with me. I need someone to help me with this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn turned to him and made wild gestures with his hands as he spoke, “I don’t think you understand. If people found out who you were while I was with you, we could both potentially be in deep trouble.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Eddie crossed his arms and frowned. “I’m</span> <span>risking everything just </span><em><span>thinking</span></em><span> about leaving this tower, but here I am, still willing to take the risk.”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re welcome to do so. Just not with me. So how about you get me down from here, give me my satchel back, and we go our separate ways.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about I don’t give you your satchel back until you take me to see the floating lanterns?” Eddie snapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn opened his mouth, then closed it again, defeated. He sighed and sent him a frustrated glare. Eddie peered at him expectantly. Then, finally, after a long, tension-filled silence… “Fine!” he declared.</span>
</p>
<p><span>Eddie lit up like a firefly. “Yes!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air, nearly knocking Flynn off the support beam. He caught his balance, wide-eyed and alarmed.</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Woah! Okay, jeez! Now, how do we get down?”</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Eddie finally leaves his tower and ventures into the land below- with the help of his new guide, Flynn Rider, of course.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>CHAPTER 4</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stood at the window and gazed out into the distance. A soft breeze danced through his hair, blowing the strands out of his face. He was going to do this. It was finally happening. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m going to leave my tower.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn stood a few feet away, watching him. “Are you gonna grab anything before we go? Maybe some food, or some shoes or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not really hungry, and I don’t have any shoes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay… you might want to bring food just in case though,” he warned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine. We can get some along the way, right?” Flynn rolled his eyes and Eddie watched as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. The sunlight was reflecting off their surface, and Eddie scrunched up his nose at all of the smudges. “Those things are filthy. How do you even see out of them?” Before Flynn could protest, he grabbed the glasses off his face and brought them over to the kitchen area, where he got a soapy rag and started cleaning the lenses. After a moment of scrubbing, he was satisfied and dried them on the hem of his shirt. “Here,” he stated, handing them back. It hadn’t been the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most</span>
  </em>
  <span> effective, or sanitary way to clean them, but he was in a bit of a hurry anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn looked mildly surprised. “Thanks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie made his way back to the window. Maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> bring something. He was barely prepared. He shook his head, leaning against the frame. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll be fine. I’m going to do this.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You okay there, Blondie?” Flynn said, after adjusting his glasses. Eddie was glad to see that they now held almost no smudges on their surface.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He grumbled out an annoyed response to the pesky nickname, then finally said, “You know what? How about you go and get a head start. I might be a minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie had expected Flynn to jump at the opportunity and start climbing down the tower as quickly as possible with the intention of leaving him behind, but instead, to his surprise, he gave him a sympathetic look. “You take your time Eddie Spaghetti. I’ll- I’ll be waiting at the bottom.” With that, he climbed onto the sill and shimmied over to the side, where he could get a grip on the rough stone. “Don’t be too long, though, we’ve got a three-day journey ahead of ourselves.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then, with striking speed, he began his descent. He reminded Eddie of the small green lizards that sometimes managed to climb into the tower. His mom always thought they were disgusting, and tried to kill them with a broom, but he had never seen the harm in them. They were pretty and cool, and one of the only animals Eddie had seen in real life, bedsides birds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This will all change soon… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped up to the window sill and looped a length of his hair around the metal hook that protruded from the frame. When he was younger, Eddie had used that hook as a pulley to make helping his mom up easier, but he hadn’t used it in years. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope it still holds.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He put his foot to the edge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The longer he waited the harder his heart pounded in his chest. He glanced back. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. Here I go.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shoving down his hesitation, he grasped onto his hair like a rope and leaped into the sky. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was weightless. For one blissful moment, he was light as a feather. Then his stomach flip-flopped as he fell. Eddie’s eyes widened and it was both terrifying and exhilarating. “WOO-HOO!” He shouted, swinging further and further down. He even passed Flynn as he neared the ground. Then all of a sudden, he panicked, and tightened his grip on his hair again, stopping himself before he made contact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared in awe, as for the first time ever, he was seeing it all up close. Hundreds and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hundreds</span>
  </em>
  <span> of blades of grass covered the dirt like a flowing green carpet. He could feel the moisture on his skin, hear the soft gurgling of the nearby stream. He could </span>
  <em>
    <span>smell</span>
  </em>
  <span> the </span>
  <em>
    <span>dirt</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This is amazing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tentatively lowered himself down and outstretched his foot to touch the grass. It was cool and soft. He took his weight off his hair and put both his feet down. He dug his toes into the dirt, and, after a moment, fell to his knees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn called out from behind him as he finally reached the base of the tower, but Eddie didn’t care. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and taking in the smell of the earth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is everything.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He didn’t even know what he meant by that, but it felt right. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s wrong. She was wrong and I knew it. Everything down here is beautiful. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It felt right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He lied down in the grass, and Flynn reached him seconds later. “Eddie! Eds- are you alright?” Eddie blinked up at the boy. He was leaning right over him, dark curls falling into his face. It cast a light shadow over his features, extinguishing the glare on the lenses on his glasses. At this proximity, Eddie could see every detail of his face. His eyes were the color of the sky. Sunlight caught on the tips of his eyelashes and defined the curve of his lips. He also had even more freckles dotting his face than Eddie did. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything down here is beautiful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The boy’s eyebrows drew together, and he repeated something Eddie had heard him say over and over in that moment but only now was it processing in his brain. “Are you okay? I saw you land, but then you just like- collapsed or something- Eddie?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn sighed, relieved that Eddie had finally spoken. He shook his head. “Eddie. Are you okay? There are tears in your eyes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” he laughed, and Flynn offered a relieved smile, sitting back up. “It’s beautiful down here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose it is.” There was a long silence, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. Eddie closed his eyes again, letting his tears fall into the soil, and Flynn shifted to a more comfortable position, looking up at the sky. The sun beamed down on them, and Eddie was amazed at how differently it hit down here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Up in his tower, the sun was nice and brought light and warmth into his home. That was about it. Down here though, the light and warmth clicked right into place like a puzzle piece, intensifying the earthy smells and bringing everything to life. This was the world, and the world was beautiful.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After what felt like forever, Eddie got to his feet. As he did, he was hit with the beauty of it all over again. There was more he needed to know. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait up, Blondie!” Flynn shouted as he started running. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As if by some magical force, the wind blew in his face as he picked up speed. If he were to look behind him, he would have seen his golden hair, trailing behind him in the breeze, glittering in the sunlight. This was the first time he had ever had a long stretch of place to run in, and it felt amazing. In all honesty, he’d never realized how </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span> the world was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie startled when a sudden cold sensation washed over his feet. When he looked down, it came to his attention that he had reached the stream. Cool water was now rushing around his ankles, and he was frozen in surprise. Shortly after, another pair of feet joined his in the water, splashing ungracefully. The boy to which the feet belonged leaned forward to catch Eddie’s gaze once again. He was grinning broadly, and Eddie relaxed a little, knowing there was someone else there who had experience with the outside world. “Are you stuck?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie looked up at him helplessly. “How do I- Is it safe?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Flynn laughed, “I’ll help you cross. It’s not that bad.” He held out his hand and Eddie took it gratefully holding on for dear life. The curly-haired boy didn’t seem to mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time they reached the other side, both of them had nearly lost their balance on the slippery rocks numerous times. Eddie stepped out onto the lush grass that lined the bank and glared at Flynn, dropping his hand. “Not that bad, huh?” Flynn snickered, and Eddie fought down a grin. “It’s not funny, dipshit. We could have broken our backs slipping on those rocks!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn’s eyes widened, and so did his grin, “Oh! So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> know some profanities! And I thought you were a lost cause! So, Spaghetti-man where did you happen to learn such foul language?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie’s face turned red and Flynn joined him on the shore. “It’s none of your business.” In all honesty, he heard most of it from his mother, though, if anyone ever asked if that was true, she would deny it instantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever. Do you want to keep going? We’re almost to that tunnel.” Eddie turned to see that they were, in fact, only a few yards from the entrance. He took a deep breath. This was the closest he had ever been to leaving. Sure, he had left his tower and was finally outside, but even this lush, lovely meadow was still secluded. Out there, past those cliffs, a whole new world awaited. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go.” At that, Flynn started walking again, but Eddie had other plans. He was certain that before they walked all the way through the tunnel, he was going to lose his courage and turn back. So, letting his excitement and curiosity overtake him, he ran towards it instead. Flynn chased after him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was like ripping off a band-aid. By eliminating the time he would have spent worrying about the situation, he wouldn't be able to rethink his decision. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kept on going through the stone tunnel, a wave of cool air drafting over him as he entered. At the other end, warm light was streaming through a blanket of vines that covered the exit. Without hesitating, he burst through them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vibrant green hit his eye in every direction. Earthy hazel undergrowth from below and deep blue-green leaves from above. It was strikingly gorgeous. “Woah,” he said aloud. He had been correct. Once he had seen this, there was no way he could go back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a few steps forward and slowly began to explore the place. He didn’t stray far from the tunnel without Flynn, but he couldn’t help but examine the fascinating details. Moments later, the other boy pushed aside the curtain of vines and strolled over to him. “What do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Honestly?” Eddie gasped, “This is more beautiful than I ever imagined.”    </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled, “I’m glad. I hope this is all worth it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m kind of risking a lot by helping you, you know.” Eddie turned to him. “Like I said, there are a lot of people who don’t really like me, and I’m not too interested in getting caught,” Flynn clarified.</span>
</p>
<p><span>“Well… you’re not getting your satchel back until you take me-”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just- we’re gonna have to be careful, okay?” Eddie nodded. “Now, we probably shouldn’t linger here too long, but while we’ve got a few moments, how about you go look around? I’m sure this is all very… big for you.”</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hours later, Flynn and Eddie had made a good deal of progress into the forest. It was the afternoon, and the air was warm and pleasant. Bright sunlight glowed through the canopy of leaves, and everything was alive with color. Eddie had been running around non-stop like a little kid at a candy booth, trying to take it all in. He had so far found out what mushrooms really looked like, discovered caves, and finally understood that trees weren’t nearly as small as they looked from his tower. This, along with many other new findings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn had come up with a system that would keep them going (apparently deep into the forest), but would still allow Eddie to investigate his surroundings. He’d invented this system because it seemed that the tall boy had finally gotten fed up with having to stop every thirty seconds to look at something. To his credit, though, he had been extremely patient for at least forty-five minutes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This method was basically just an agreement that Flynn would keep walking, and if Eddie wanted to go look at something, he was welcome to, as long as he caught up again before the other was out of sight. This worked pretty well, until Eddie had mostly come down from his curiosity high. The longer he stayed outside, the more he had begun to realize the weight of what he’d gotten himself into. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What if his mom came home early and saw that he was gone? What would she think? It would probably destroy her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should go back.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>These thoughts kept haunting him, as they went on, and eventually, Eddie just couldn’t take it anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Here was his current situation: He was curled up on a moss-covered stone, head in his hands, speaking his worries aloud. Flynn wasn’t doing much to help. Sure, he was sympathetic, but at this point, he just patted Eddie on the back and waited for him to get past it. He had tried everything, from telling jokes to lighten the mood, to letting Eddie put his head in his lap to try to calm him down. The second of those two things had felt very suddenly intimate, but Eddie certainly wasn’t complaining. Flynn was really the first other person he’d ever met, so Eddie trusted his knowledge of what was normal much more than his own. Either way, it was nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still not enough to bring him back to reality however.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a while, Flynn finally voiced an idea, “Maybe I should just take you back. Clearly you aren’t handling this very well, so waiting a few more years before you do this probably wouldn’t be a bad idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, Eddie shot his head up and looked at him incredulously. “You’re kidding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, seriously, it would probably be a better idea for you to get introduced to this gradually, so it’s completely understandable if you need more-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! I mean- I don’t know… no. No. I have to do this.” He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, barely having realized he’d been crying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What makes you so sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this about your dumb satchel?” Eddie snapped, “Is that why you’re trying to dissuade me? Because even if you did, I still wouldn’t give it to you until you’ve fulfilled your promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn rolled his eyes in frustration. “Okay, believe it or not, I’m actually trying to help you decide for yourself. Now, just go with it. How about you list everything that could go wrong on this journey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie sat up, taken aback. “Seriously?” Flynn nodded. “Okay, you wanna know what could go wrong?” He took a deep breath, “First of all, I could get lost. I’ve been living in a secluded tower my entire life. That’s the only world I know. If I lost track of you, there’s no way I’d be able to find my way back. If that happened, I would be defenseless against anything that came across me with foul intent. I don’t know shit about self-defense, because for some god-forsaken reason my mother never thought that would be an important skill for me to learn. And even if I didn’t get attacked by wild animals, there are plenty of poisonous plants in this forest, and I don’t even know what those look like! I could stumble into a patch of poison ivy and not even know it until I’m dead from scratching my skin off! Also, I don’t have any food and without knowing what’s safe, I’ll probably starve to death. Oh, and remember how you keep saying that there are people who don’t like you and that we should be careful? How am I supposed to know who I can trust and who’s going to kidnap me and sell my hair on the black market!? How do I even know that I can trust </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, for god’s sake?” Eddie was out of breath by the time he finished. That was the longest time he had ever let all his jumbled thoughts just run out of his mouth without being stopped, he realized. Maybe that’s why he talked so fast whenever he really had something to say. He had to get out as much of it as possible before he was inevitably put down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn, on the other hand, didn’t even comment at the pace at which he had just spewed out all his worries. Instead, he gently put his hand on Eddie’s shoulder and moved forward so that Eddie would meet his eyes. “Is that everything?” He asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” he started, “Listen. I know that leaving your tower was a really big thing for you, and it’s really scary to not be familiar with your surroundings. It’s totally normal to doubt yourself, or to get nervous, but I need you to listen to me for a minute. First of all, I’m not going to abandon you in the middle of the forest, and I know my way around. You’re not going to get lost. Second, yes, there are wild animals in this forest. However, I promise that they’re not as malicious as your mother makes them out to be. If something did, theoretically try to attack you though, you definitely wouldn’t be defenseless. You said that self-defense isn’t something your mom taught you right? Well, think about this. When I broke into your tower, what was the first thing you did?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nearly fall off a support beam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn laughed, sand then trailed off sheepishly as Eddie glared at him. “Okay, but you recovered pretty quickly, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess, but what does that-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then you stayed hidden until you had the upper hand-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-and then you knocked me out with a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>frying-pan</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Are you seeing my point yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uhh, no.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn rolled his eyes. “The point is, you’re not helpless. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>know how to handle yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie furrowed his eyebrows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he’s right?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “But that doesn’t help against poisonous plants or finding food, or good judgment when it comes to who I’m supposed to trust. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I really don’t know anything about people.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s okay. I’m here to help you with that. How did you decide that you could trust me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t know if this is considered trust. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one blackmailing you here, so…” he deadpanned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a very obvious display of trying to keep his patience, Flynn calmly continued. “Exactly. Clearly you do know some things about how people work. You see, whether you realize it or not, you have what it takes to do this. You don’t have to. We can go back to your tower if you don’t feel ready, but it’s your choice. If you think back on what you were saying earlier, you might notice that a lot of the worries and misconceptions you’re having came from your mother. I don’t want to make assumptions, but she’s clearly been lying to you about a lot of things. I don’t know if this is some form of trying to protect you, or whatever, but it’s something that needs to be addressed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stared at one of the twisted trees surrounding them, and took in everything he’d just said. It sounded right. Unlike his mom (and as Eddie thought about this, he realized some of the truth in Flynn’s words), Flynn was actually letting him make his own decisions. He sighed. “Give me a minute.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn left his side momentarily but didn’t go far from his perch on the mossy rock. Eddie thought long and hard. He went over the pros and cons. It was interesting how Flynn had listened to all of his concerns without interrupting and then totally flipped Eddie’s perspective on things. “I’m gonna keep going,” he said, quietly. After a second, Flynn emerged from behind the large tree he had been observing, and came back over to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve made up your mind?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded. “I’m gonna go see the floating lights.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn grinned. “Alright. That’s what we’ll do.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stood up and stretched, only now realizing how long he had been sitting in the same position. As he gazed around, the anxiety he had been feeling before slowly ebbed away. The sun was still shining, bringing life and light into everything it touched. The world was still beautiful. No matter how long he thought about what his mom told him, or descended into worry, blinded by her stories of horror and caution, this reality was still waiting for him on the other side. “I’m ready to keep going.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn nodded in agreement, but before they continued on the invisible path they’d been following before, he said, “Hang on, there’s something I need to show you real quick.” He grabbed Eddie’s upper arm and led him over to the twisting tree. “Okay, now tell me, which way did we come from?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie stared at him in surprise. “Are you serious? How am I supposed to know that?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just- just take a wild guess. Which direction is your tower?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes and looked around. After analyzing his surroundings, he pointed towards a cluster of small bushes. Flynn raised his eyebrows. Then, he gestured for Eddie to follow him, and together they climbed up the tree. Keeping the direction of the bushes in mind, they emerged past the tree cover onto a branch that protruded above the rest. There, almost exactly in the direction he had pointed, a tall ring of cliff sides loomed over the forest. He glanced at Flynn in amazement, and the other boy just nodded, looking impressed, then made his way back down the tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow, Flynn Rider, without hardly saying anything, just proved to one Eddie Kaspbrak that he was underestimating his own abilities.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie climbed down as well. “What was that?” he asked, dumbfounded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know more than you think you do, Spaghetti. Now, let’s get a move on. If we don’t hurry, it’ll get dark soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They started walking again, and after a pause Eddie wondered, “What about food? How are we gonna eat?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, Flynn grinned and answered, “Oh. I know a place.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Richie and Eddie make their way further into the forest and come across the Snuggly Duckling, where they stay for dinner. However, not everything goes to plan...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>CHAPTER 5</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Eddie had first brought up food, it hadn’t been because he was particularly hungry, and he had mostly just been worried about planning ahead. Now however, hours later, the two of them stumbling through the darkening forest, his stomach was growling, and he was beginning to wonder if Flynn had any idea where he was going at all. He had said that there was a place </span>
  <em>
    <span>nearby</span>
  </em>
  <span> that would serve them food… about three hours ago. Since then, Eddie’s legs had grown exhausted, and the sun had begun to set. Flynn also appeared to no longer have any idea where he was going, but when Eddie voiced this possibility, he waved it off and assured him that they were almost there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The forest, Eddie discovered, became a completely different place once the sun receded past the treeline. The vibrancy of the foliage was gently stripped away by the darkness, and everything that was green all became the same shade of dark blue. Rather than small songbirds, lazily singing from the treetops, the air was filled with the sound of chirping crickets, a sound he had only ever heard from far away. The temperature had also dropped a great deal. It wasn’t freezing, and he was familiar with the coolness of the night, but the air was wetter in the forest, and it felt like the darkness was trying to drain him of warmth the same way it had drained everything else of color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the night air. It made sense, Eddie guessed. He must be used to it. He hadn’t been cooped up at the top of a tower his whole life, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two boys pushed their way through a patch of waist-height bushes, the branches scratching up the exposed skin of Eddie’s legs. For most of the way so far, the ground had been soft dirt covered in cool grass and springy moss, but sometimes they would reach an area where, if he wasn’t careful, he could accidentally step on a thorn, or a sharp stone protruding from the soil. In these moments, he started wishing he had a pair of boots like the ones Flynn was wearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost as soon as they were out of the bushes, Flynn stopped for the first time in a while. This surprised Eddie, and he almost walked right into him. It was an unnatural stop, like he had suddenly sensed something, and that immediately put the smaller boy on edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked. It was the first thing either of them had said in a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh,” Flynn responded, raising his hand in a silencing motion. This did not do anything to calm his nerves, and he glanced around at their dark surroundings, listening for whatever it was the other had heard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood in silence for an unbearably long time, and Eddie rocked back and forth on his heels, restlessly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A rustling from the bushes caused him to startle. Frantically, he jumped behind Flynn, who had spun around in the direction of the noise. “What was that?” he hissed, glaring at the bush from over Flynn’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully an animal,” the taller boy said after a second. The rustling started up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie started to panic. Hopefully? What if it was a bear, or a cougar, or some sort of large reptilian beast that could tear them apart in two seconds flat? It drew closer, and he instinctively gripped the back of Flynn’s shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rustling became louder and louder and then the thing emerged, and Eddie froze up. He was practically using Flynn’s body as a shield, and he peeked around him to see what exactly had come to kill them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was much smaller than he had expected to say the least. The creature was about the size of a large loaf of bread and covered in light, soft-looking fur. It had two long ears that stuck straight up into the air. He had never seen anything like it before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them stood there, frozen. Eddie glanced up at Flynn’s face, uncertainly. His lips were pursed, expression unreadable. Then he whispered, “Stay calm. It can probably sense fear.” There was a faint waver in his voice that could either mean he was holding back laughter or tears. The air was tense, and Eddie wasn’t sure what to think.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, without warning, Flynn’s expression broke into an amused grin, and he snorted, startling both Eddie and the small creature in front of them, which quickly darted back into the bushes. He let go of Flynn’s shirt and gasped, realizing he’d been holding his breath. Then he turned to look at him incredulously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell was that!?” he scolded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. My. God,” Flynn wheezed through his fit of laughter, “Eds! You should have seen your face!” Eddie furrowed his eyebrows, heart pounding in his chest. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Was it a trick?</span>
  </em>
  <span> After composing himself a little bit, Flynn finally straightened his posture, and told him, “That, my friend, was a rabbit. Literally one of the most harmless things you’ll find in this forest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s jaw dropped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh. He was fucking with me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He wasn’t sure whether to be mad or join in the laughter. He had done the same thing to Flynn earlier, when he had pretended not to know how glasses worked, so really, it probably served him right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was still an asshole thing to do, though. So, he decided on ‘gently’ punching Flynn in the side, and when the taller boy asked what that was for as if he had no idea, Eddie turned away, so that Flynn wouldn’t see his smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kept going, this time talking almost non-stop. Both of them seemed re-energized by their most recent interaction, and Eddie discovered that he didn’t dislike Flynn’s teasing as much as he thought he did. As much as he pretended otherwise, he had to admit, it had been pretty funny, and he probably would have done the same thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time seemed to pass a lot more quickly when they were having a conversation, and the distraction made walking through a dark forest much more bearable. After what felt like only ten minutes, but was probably closer to half an hour later, as Flynn pushed aside a thick group of low-hanging branches, he suddenly perked up and grabbed Eddie’s shoulder, dragging him along quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked, stumbling over his own feet as Flynn pulled him forward. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see it Eds!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Light! Just past those trees! We’re here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Looking up, he could also make out a faint warm light coming from around the corner. As they picked up the pace, the taller boy let go of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was almost surprised. He had been so occupied talking to Flynn, that it seemed he nearly forgot that they were going anywhere at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They reached the front, and the small windows and cracks in the wood glowed with light from a fireplace inside. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s warm in there</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Eddie thinks, absently, starting to notice again how cold the air around him was. There was a large wooden door, and just above it, a hanging sign labeled: The Snuggly Duckling. It looked like a nice place. There were a variety of flowers planted around the outside, lit up by the overflowing light from the interior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them stepped up to the door, and as they did, he could hear a commotion from inside. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There are a lot of people in there</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he realized. The voices blended together into a general low murmur, punctuated by occasional laughter. Eddie’s stomach twisted in knots at this. Meeting one person had been hard enough, and now he was about to be thrown into a whole crowd of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn, upon noticing his hesitation, reached for his hand and squeezed gently. It’s an action Eddie is unfamiliar with, but he decides that it’s comforting. “Hey, you’re gonna be okay. Just act natural, okay?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell is that supposed to mean?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He nods anyway. Flynn lets go of his hand and reaches for the door handle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was right about it being warm inside. As the door swung open, Eddie felt the temperature change immediately. They hurried inside, Flynn picking up heaps of Eddie’s hair and helping carry it in, then he shut the door behind them. The heat was nice, but once he glanced around, eyes adjusting to the light, he wished they had waited outside a little longer. He blindly groped around at his side, until Flynn’s hand was back in his, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn, that’s a lot of people.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>Flynn</span>
  </em>
  <span> was tall, but at least a third of the people here looked like giants compared to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ruffians and thugs.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The people his mother had warned him about. Men with huge muscles and angry faces. People with no morals who would kidnap him and use him for his hair. Abuse it’s magical properties so that they could live forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up at Flynn in panic. The taller boy’s cheeks were tinted pink and he had a tiny smirk on his face. His glasses were fogging up from the sudden change in temperature, but he pretended like he didn’t notice. He, himself, was looking around calmly and didn’t seem to notice Eddie’s distress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they made their way to a counter near the back, people started to take an interest in the mass of hair trailing behind him. He tugged on Flynn’s hand a little, and the boy finally peered at him through the foggy lenses of his glasses. “Flynn,” he whispered, “people are </span>
  <em>
    <span>staring</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. Just go with it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Flynn approached the counter, with as much confidence as he could fake, scanning everyone’s faces frantically as he did so. When they arrived at the bar, he hadn’t expected it to be nearly as packed as it was. This was supposed to be their refuge for the night, but if he didn’t find the owner of the place quickly, they might be in huge trouble. Still, best to act like it didn’t bother him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was clutching his hand like a lifeline, and he felt bad for… well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> comforting him at the moment, but he really needed to keep up the arrogant act until he found the owner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they pushed their way through the crowd, Eddie suddenly jumped and spun around to look behind them. There was a wake of people left behind them, as the boy’s hair was attracting a lot of attention. One of the biggest brutes had stepped forward and picked up a length of it, letting the strands flow through his fingers like gold. “That’s a lot of hair,” the man croaked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Flynn snapped, glaring pointedly at the man, “hands-off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew from the moment the words left his mouth that he probably shouldn’t have said anything. The man dropped the hair back onto the dusty wooden floor, and straightened up, giving Flynn a measuring look. “Or what, </span>
  <em>
    <span>pansey</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn tensed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Keep up the act. You don’t care.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He shook off the terrible feeling building in the pit of his stomach and smiled pleasantly at the man. “How would you like to get kicked out of this bar?” He asked with the same tone he would use to ask someone how their day was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How exactly do you plan to do that?” The man stepped closer as Eddie reeled in his hair so that it pooled around his feet rather than stretching across the floor. As nonchalantly as he could, Flynn backed the two of them to the counter. The room had quieted down considerably, and a large number of people were watching the scene unfold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” he said, leaning against the counter, “I happen to be excellent friends with the owner. Me and her, we go way back. So, if you take another step forward,” he hurried, trying to keep panic from his voice as the man drew dangerously close, “I can guarantee you it’s not gonna end well for you. Do you come here often?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man grunted in response and ignored his warnings, still moving towards them. Flynn was just about ready to tell Eddie to jump over the counter and hide back there, when another man shouted from the other side of the bar, catching everyone’s attention. “Hey!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn perked up at the voice, thinking they were here to rescue him, but when he stretched out his neck to peer across the room and realized it wasn’t who he’d hoped it was, his heart dropped. The man was holding a weathered piece of paper. “Is this you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was speaking directly to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stamped in large black letters at the top of the paper was the word: WANTED. “Uh, I dunno, is it?” he said, trying desperately to remain calm. Eddie was staring at him in confusion. To his dismay, the man passed the paper through the crowd, single-handedly letting just about everyone else in the bar get a good look at the drawing before it reached Flynn. Someone from the crowd handed it to him, and he pretended to inspect the drawing carefully when in reality he was just wasting time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now this is just mean,” he said, solemnly. The drawing was, again, a horrible representation of what he really looked like, but was unfortunately accurate enough to get the job done. What he was commenting on specifically, was the way they butchered his nose to look ridiculous because whatever artist had drawn it had no idea how to draw noses. He also wasn’t wearing glasses in the drawing, so it makes sense that the man was unsure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was looking between Flynn and the drawing in curiosity, which soon turned to confusion, and then suspicion. It was only a matter of time until he figured it out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh well.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn was relieved that the boy didn’t let go of his hand, even though both of their palms were starting to get sweaty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The huge man from before snatched the paper out of his free hand, nearly tearing it in two. After a moment of observing it, in which Flynn held his breath, knowing he was fucked, the man looked back and growled, “It’s him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tense atmosphere in the room broke, and suddenly everyone around them was shouting and reaching and grabbing for him. Someone to his right took hold of his upper arm and yanked him into the fray, ripping him away from Eddie, who was now frozen against the counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He became part of the crowd as everyone who had seen the price on his head pulled him this way and that. Flynn was plenty fast and agile, but, especially compared to these brutes, quite lacking in the strength department. People were getting into fights with each other, trying to get to him, and those who were holding onto him tried to lift him above their heads to keep everyone else away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This might be how I die</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thinks in anguish. At least he’d dragged the attention away from Eds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That is, until there was a deafening </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span> and everyone froze, looking around to see what had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was standing up on the counter, making himself level with Flynn, who was being held in the air by at least four different people. He had a large frying pan in one hand, and the other was clenched in a fist. He looked terrified; wide-eyed and hysterical, but even more than that, he looked furious. Someone was collapsed on the floor next to the counter and putting two and two together, Flynn guessed that he’d knocked someone out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That must have taken a lot of strength, considering how thick these guys’ skulls are</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought bitterly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave Eddie an ironic thumbs-up from where he was suspended in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let him go,” Eddie demanded. It was a very bold move, but Flynn could easily hear the underlying fear in the boy’s voice, and he knew it definitely wouldn’t intimidate anyone there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what do we have here,” someone snarled. It was probably the same guy from before. “Sorry, but you can’t help your boyfriend out of this one. He’s gonna get what he deserves, and I’m gonna get paid generously for turning him in.” At that, the cacophony started up again as people protested and reached for him, saying that they were going to be the one turning him in and how they deserved the money more than everyone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last thing Flynn saw before being dragged back into the struggle was Eddie’s look of helpless defeat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was drowning in arms and bodies, and a sea of greedy creatures, all tossing him around like some kind of sick keep-away game. Then, out of nowhere, another loud noise sounded, followed by someone shouting, “What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>HELL</span>
  </em>
  <span> is going on here!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like a pebble thrown into a pond of tiny fish, everyone scattered, trying to move out of the way, but without anywhere to go because whatever had caused the commotion was at the door. Flynn curled in on himself as he was dropped to the floor, and he tried his best not to get trampled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In less than thirty seconds, there was a clearing in the center of the room, where he was still crouched. No one was within ten feet of him. He looked around in confusion, dropping his arms from where they had been protecting his face and head, and slowly stood up. Everyone was looking behind him. He turned around, tense, and prepared for the worst; for the king and queen themselves. However, when he saw who it was, his face split into a huge grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, standing in the doorway, was a young woman, only a year-and-a-half older than he was, with fierce red hair and a large wooden bat that usually sat near the entrance, clutched in one hand and slung over her shoulder. Behind her, a man stood tentatively, glancing around at the mess in bewilderment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re probably wondering how I got myself into such a mess</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Flynn thought, giddily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he says, “Ben! Beverly! Oh, thank God!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie had still been standing on the counter when someone slammed open the door, grabbed a wooden bat from beside it, and brought it down hard on the nearest table. She then yelled something into the crowd, and everyone who had been fighting over Flynn seconds before, stumbled away from him as if he had the plague.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, after standing up, and clearly recognizing the people at the door from the way he shouted, Flynn launched himself across the room and hid behind her. She seemed to know what to do from there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will someone please explain </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>I just walked into!?” No one spoke up. “I was gone for fifteen minutes! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fifteen fucking minutes</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and it’s really </span>
  <em>
    <span>so difficult </span>
  </em>
  <span>for you </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> to start a brawl and trash the place!?” The thugs who had seemed so fearsome before now looked like scolded children. There was a long silence. Someone eventually scooted out of the crowd, and handed her the tattered wanted sign, then backed away quickly as she raised her weapon. She glanced over it briefly, then glared back at the people. Then she banged the bat on the table again, and shouted, “Alright, everybody </span>
  <em>
    <span>out!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without any questions asked, dozens of people scrambled for the door as soon as she had moved out of the way, along with Flynn and the surprised looking man behind her. As they left, Eddie slid off the counter and slipped underneath it, next to a couple of tall stools to avoid getting trampled or flushed out with the rest of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last few people made their way out the door, and the woman, supposedly named ‘Beverly’, from Flynn’s shouting, followed them on their way and shut the door firmly behind them. Then she looked in his direction and scowled. At first, Eddie thought she’d seen him, and he froze in fear. Whoever this woman was, she had just scared a whole lot of huge, muscular men into leaving the building at her command. Eddie didn’t know what to make of it. He soon realized, though, that she was looking over the counter, not underneath. Presumably, there was someone else still behind the counter, because the next thing she said was, “I’ll have a chat with you later,” and then he heard footsteps leading from behind the counter out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the unseen person was gone, Beverly’s posture sagged, and she sighed heavily. The man who she had appeared with put an arm around her, comfortingly. After a second, she straightened up again. “Richie! It’s good to see you! Sorry about the inconvenient timing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn waved off the apology and bounced on his toes. “Nah, it’s fine. It was just bad planning on my part. I should have known this place would be packed. You see, we kinda got lost when-” He suddenly cut off, brows furrowing, and his head spun around as he frantically glanced around the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong? What do you mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, have you seen a- well, he should be- Oh, there he is.” Flynn made eye contact with Eddie as he spotted him hiding under the counter. Flynn skipped over to where he was still crouched and held out his hand. “It’s alright, Spaghetti-man! As intimidating as she seems, Bev’s my best friend. You can trust her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that,” Eddie mumbled, begrudgingly, as Flynn took his hands and helped him to his feet. He was tempted not to let go of Flynn’s hand once he was standing but decided that he didn’t want to make things weird.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly’s eyebrows shot up at the boy’s unexpected presence, and her eyes widened as she noticed the seventy-foot locks trailing behind him as he and Flynn approached her. The man next to her had his mouth slightly open, and his brows brought together as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bev, Ben,” Flynn began once they were standing in front of them, “this is Eddie, and uh, he’s the reason I made the treacherous journey through the forest to find this place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you just follow the trail? There are signs, you know,” asked the man, looking more confused still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Long story, and beyond the point. Eds, these are my friends, Ben and Beverly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, hi,” he responded, hesitantly. Now that she had calmed down, Beverly seemed nice enough, and, just from the aura he gave off, he felt like he should instinctively trust Ben. The man had kind eyes and smiled meekly through his obvious confusion. He was a big person, taller than both Beverly and Flynn, and if Eddie hadn’t just seen a room filled with people who looked like giants compared to him, it would have been a little intimidating. However, with the gentle way his arm was wrapped around Beverly, and his soft-spoken presence, it was almost comforting instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Eddie,” Ben said at the same time Beverly asked, “How in the world did your hair get so long!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie fiddled with his hands as Flynn said, “You know, I’ve been wondering the same thing…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s- kind of a- I’ve been stuck in a tower my whole life and I guess it never really struck me that this wasn’t normal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Ben asked, looking startled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah,” Flynn looked at them both sheepishly, “I forgot to mention. So, I found Eds here in a hidden tower deep within this forest when I was running from ol’ Stanny boy after stealing a priceless crown- because, you know, I’m like, the greatest thief ever-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I saw the paper. So basically, you had a run-in with Stan and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did not have a ‘run-in’,” Flynn interrupted, “I was running </span>
  <em>
    <span>from</span>
  </em>
  <span> Stan. There’s a difference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit. We all know you and Stan are still tight.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anyway</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you, what- hid in a tower and just found Eddie there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess.” Flynn sighed. “Okay. This is fun and all, and I’d love to catch up, but we came here as a place of refuge. You’ve said before that if I was really in trouble, you guys would let me stay here. Now, I’ve kind of got a situation on my hands, and it would be really great to have some food and a place to sleep for the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beverly nodded in a strangely solemn way. “Alright. I stay true to my promises. You can stay here, and we’ll try to hide you, but you need to understand- all those guys who just left? I’m guessing that the first thing they’re gonna do is notify the royal guard of your presence here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn bit his lip nervously. It seemed that he hadn’t thought of that. He hesitated, then said, “It’ll have to be enough for now. They won’t reach town for a while, and if we need to, we can leave early.”</span>
</p><p><span>“Alright.”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“I’ll go get the extra room ready,” offered Ben, and Beverly smiled at him gratefully. She then kissed him on the cheek, and he left the room through a door near the back.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Now, let’s get you two some food.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie shoveled warm stew into his mouth the moment the bowl was set down in front of him. His hunger had been temporarily forgotten during all the action, but now that everything had settled down, and he actually had something to eat, it hit him again like a ton of stone bricks. He didn’t even have any time to question what he was eating. When he finished in half the time it normally took him to eat, Flynn had commented on it, but Eddie ignored him. So now, he sat calmly on one of the stools, an empty bowl sitting on the counter, which he leaned on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a fireplace in the adjacent wall, as well as a few candle-lit chandeliers hung in different spots on the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow on everything. It created a much different effect on the room than sunlight would, but it was just as cozy and welcoming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie looked over to where Flynn was talking animatedly with Beverly. It was as if they were one mind. Every now and then he brought up this and she brought up that. They talked about things that probably didn’t matter, and things he didn’t understand. Bev was sitting on the counter a few feet away, swinging her legs, and the light from the fire shone drastically on her vibrant red hair, almost making it look like it was glowing. It reminded Eddie of how his own hair looked, except that his really </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> glow, when he wanted it to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn kept making great big motions with his whole body when he was trying to get a point across. The firelight was also reflecting off his glasses, and Eddie noticed in mild anguish that they were all dirty and smudged again. He couldn’t help but smile giddily at the way Flynn was moving, though, all enthusiastic and genuine. It was both ridiculous and endearing, and he just couldn’t help it. Flynn was just a ridiculous, endearing sort of guy, and Eddie didn’t know how to make sense of how he felt towards the boy, but it excited him. So, he leaned on one elbow and watched the two friends converse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t notice when Ben sat down next to him a few minutes later, startling him when he spoke. “What was it like?” he whipped around in surprise. This seemed to surprise Ben a little too, and he hunched his shoulders, apologetically. “I- I mean, uh, being stuck in a tower for your whole life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Eddie finally processed what he meant, he stammered, caught off-guard by the question, “Oh! Um, I don’t know if I’m really qualified to answer that question, as I’ve only technically been out of there for a day, but, well…” he breathed out a nervous laugh, “I mean, there was a lot less stuff, for starters. I had books and furniture, and a bed, and, uh, there was a kitchen… sort of.” He trailed off, not sure exactly what Ben wanted to hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Ben said, obviously detecting Eddie’s cluelessness about what to say next, “What did you do? If it was just that tower, it must have gotten pretty boring sometimes, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, that’s a good starting place.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Like I said, there were a lot of books, so I read a lot. I like reading.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben’s smile was as warm as sunshine. “I like reading too. It’s a great way to escape the real world, especially when you find a story you really like. I’ll bet that was a great hobby to have in such a small place.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>It really was</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Eddie realized, and he imagined what his time up there would have been like without that distraction. “So, what else do you like to do? Surely that isn’t the only thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I paint, I guess. That’s always been fun.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You good at it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? I don’t know… I don’t have much to compare it to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this moment, Flynn jumped into their conversation and said, “Quit being so modest, Eds! You’re practically a professional!” He turned his attention to Ben, “Seriously you should have seen it! The entire place was </span>
  <em>
    <span>covered</span>
  </em>
  <span> in some of the most gorgeous paintings I have ever seen. I didn’t see a single spot on those walls that wasn’t covered by some masterpiece.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s cheeks warmed from the flattery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet you’re amazing,” Ben said, cordially. He peeked around Flynn. “Where’s Beverly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn smirked. “She went to go… </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span> with that bartender.” He emphasized the word ‘talk’ with an exaggerated wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Ben turned back to Eddie. “So how big was the tower?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it was really tall,” said Flynn, while Eddie said, “As long as my hair can reach, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben nodded. “And you’ve lived in it your entire life? How old are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost eighteen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That tower must be really structurally sound, then, for it to be that tall, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the middle of the woods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn scratched his head in a puzzled sort of way. “No, man, the thing looked like it was falling apart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh. That’s interesting. It’s probably a good thing that you left when you did, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think it’s gonna fall over?” Eddie said, alarmed, “My mom still lives there, and once I go see the floating lights- I’m gonna… go back?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why did that feel like a question?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” a hint of worry, or sympathy, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> slipped into Ben’s voice, and it did little to reassure Eddie, “You should probably try and talk her into leaving as well, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I can. I haven’t told her that I was leaving. She’s on a trip… to get me a birthday present. She- she doesn’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something dawned in Ben’s eyes. “She was keeping you from leaving, wasn’t she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben sighed. “I’m not going to go into it right now, but I know a thing or two about overprotective parents. Trust me, she probably knows what she’s doing to you, and she might </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> she’s trying to protect you, but it’s bad, Eddie. I don’t think you should go back. At least not permanently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down at his hands. He wished Flynn would say something dumb to lighten the mood, but the curly-haired boy had fallen silent. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What does he mean? I shouldn’t go back? I need her. That’s what she’s always said… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Somewhere, deep down, Eddie knew exactly what he was talking about, but he sure as hell was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> ready to address that problem. He wasn’t brave enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears stung his eyes and he sniffed, trying not to let them see that he was crying. But Ben, with his superpower of being able to read others’ emotions, wasn’t fooled. Instead of bringing it up, though, he wrapped Eddie up in a hug. Eddie gave up and let the tears roll down his cheeks. They fell with a light </span>
  <em>
    <span>tap</span>
  </em>
  <span> onto the counter and seeped into the wood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn put his hand over Eddie’s and squeezed lightly. “Hey, It’ll be fine,” he whispered, “We’ll go see the lanterns, and then we’ll go back to your tower, and you can make up your mind then. No pressure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay,” Eddie choked out. “I’m okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben let go of him and pat him on the back. Bev appeared shortly from one of the back rooms. “Your guys’ room is ready,” she said, “You’re probably exhausted, and just in case you have to leave early, you should probably try to get as much sleep as possible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They followed Beverly to the extra room, and Flynn flopped down onto the bed. The room was bigger than Eddie’s back at his tower, and so was the bed. At the base of it were a couple of brightly colored folded quilts. Flynn was sprawled across the bed, face tilted towards the ceiling, and he looked like he might never move again. Instead of saying anything, Eddie just walked over and shoved him to the side, so he could sit on the edge. With that, Flynn scooted over to the other side to make room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had never slept with anyone else on the same bed with him, and he wondered vaguely if he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep because of it. Flynn, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind one bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will this be fine?” Beverly asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn propped himself up on his elbows. “Yeah. This is perfect. Thanks, guys.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a quick back and forth of ‘goodnight’s, Ben and Bev left. Flynn took off his glasses and leaned over to set them on the bedside table. He was on the side of the bed next to the wall, and a few moments after he lied back down, Eddie did the same. The bed was much softer than what he was used to, and after walking around all day, very comfortable. They laid there for a while in silence. The lamp hanging from the wall was still lit, and Eddie guessed that they wouldn’t go to sleep until it was extinguished, but neither of them got up to do it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why were all those people so afraid of Beverly?” he wondered aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flynn rolled over to look at him. His eyelids were slightly droopy, and he smiled at him lazily. Eddie was kind of amazed at how quickly he went from energetic and excited to apparently drop-dead exhausted. “Oh Eds, you picked the perfect bedtime story,” he said, fondly. “You see, a few years back, Bev lived in this village a few miles away, and one day, it was attacked by this </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span> griffon.” Eddie’s eyes widened, and he leaned in closer, eager to see where this story was going. His mother had told stories of griffons and dragons and other such beasts, but all she ever said was that they were just another horror of the world. Just another reason to fear leaving his tower. But in this context, he could tell that Flynn wasn’t telling a story of caution, but instead, a story of bravery and adventure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, this griffon tore through the village, quite effectively destroying anything in its path. It killed some people and then flew off with some others. Ben actually happened to be one of the people who were captured. So, obviously, someone had to save them, but no one knew what to do. The griffin lived on a cliff a few miles off, and most people were convinced that it was a lost cause; not worth risking more lives to save a few. The thing is, this exact scenario happened every couple of years, and for as long as anyone can remember, everyone just does nothing and tries to forget about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beverly’s the one who changed that, though. Even though she knew it was gonna be scary, and down-right nearly impossible, she was the only one willing to try and change things for the better. So she put together a make-shift set of armor, and stole a sword from the blacksmith, and set out on her journey. It was a long and treacherous hike up to the cliff, but one that she could handle. When she got there and entered the griffin’s lair, she found the people who were captured. They were all shaken up, but no one had sustained any severe injuries yet. No griffin in sight. However, as they made the tedious journey back, the beast finally showed up, infuriated at their attempted escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beverly tried to fight it off, and managed to damage its wing so that it couldn’t just fly away again, but before she could do anything else, it lashed out at her, and cut a pretty nasty gash in her side. All hope seemed lost, as Beverly wouldn’t be able to continue battling it in her state, and the griffin was moving on to the rest of the victims, but in what was probably the most badass moment ever, Beverly crawled over to a slope, and with her remaining strength, sliced through a tangle of vines that were holding back some boulders with her sword. The landslide that resulted hit the griffin and sent it tumbling down the cliffside, never to be seen again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So now the griffin is defeated, but Bev is in pretty bad shape. Ben, who we later find out has basically been secretly in love with her his entire life, helps her up and slings her arm over his shoulder so that he can help her walk down the rest of the way. The gash in her side was still bleeding, but it hadn’t hit anything vital, and she made it all the way down without passing out. So Ben takes her to the nearest healer, and they fix her up, and while she’s recovering, Ben pretty much confesses his love for her, and it’s really cute and romantic, and that’s how they started dating! In conclusion, Beverly is a fuckin’ badass, and those people who were here at the bar weren’t only intimidated by her. They respect her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie stared at him in awe. “She really did that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup,” Flynn stated, proudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. That’s… incredible. She’s really brave. There’s no way I would ever be able to do something like that. Like,” he breathed out a laugh, “just wow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” the other boy sighed in admiration. “That’s my Bev.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie smiled. He felt better. It really had been a good story, and no one better to tell it than Flynn. “I’ll get the light,” he stated, sliding off the bed and walking over to the lamp, which he blew out. The room went dark, and he squinted as he navigated his way back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he lied back down, Flynn said, “You should grab one of those quilts. Ben and Bev made them together. They’re really nice.” So he did. He unfolded it and spread it across the bed, and Flynn laughed as it fell over him. Eddie smiled in the darkness and climbed under the covers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a great story-teller, Flynn,” he said, sleepily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment of silence, Flynn responded, “Thanks.” He paused again, and Eddie wondered vaguely what was going on in his head. Then, the curly-haired boy laughed lightly and said, “Alright, now go to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s worries about not being able to sleep were long-forgotten by now, and within minutes, he drifted off under the soft blankets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leaves rustled in the quiet night air as one Stanley Uris pushed his way gently through the undergrowth. He had been out for hours, restlessly looking everywhere for wherever Richie had gone. It had been amazing how quickly the boy disappeared. One moment, Stan was right on his tail, intent on getting that crown back, and the next moment, he turned a corner and suddenly lost him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s not like he could have gone far</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Stan thought to himself hours before. He realized now that Richie must have hidden. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid-fucking-Richie-Tozier. Damn it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been wandering around since morning looking for the boy. Now, late at night, he was exhausted and making his way back to the rest of his group. Richie really owed him after this. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t have talked to him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought, hopping over a small stream, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should have just forced him to give me the crown, and then been done with it. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why</span>
  <em>
    <span> does this always happen?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In truth, he had enjoyed being able to talk with Richie for a while. It had been fun, and relaxed, and, though he would never admit it to him, Richie was probably his best friend, apart from Mike. And Bill. Was he closer to Richie than he was to Bill? He shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever. Doesn’t matter.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked for a while longer before he heard the sound of leaves brushing together and coarse dirt softly crunching underfoot. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s him. That’s gotta be him.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’d had such a long day that now, he was just desperate for things to work out in his favor. Without thinking, he went over to a tree and hid behind it, back pressed flat to the bark. He listened carefully as the footsteps drew closer and closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alright. Three, two, one…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He jumped out from behind the tree when the footfalls were right next to him and was just about ready to grab whoever it was, when the startled woman jumped back and made a startled noise. Stan tripped himself up in his attempt not to jump at this random woman and ended up nearly face-planting into the dirt. He wanted to bang his head against the tree behind him at his own stupidity. He was tired. He was done. He wanted to go home. He mentally screamed at himself for being such an idiot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a deep breath and composed himself. “I’m sorry,” he said to the woman who was now staring at him like he was insane, “I thought you were someone else. Can I help you?” She didn’t respond, but she furrowed her eyebrows and looked him up and down. “Are you lost?” he asked, keeping his patience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering, she mouthed something, then mumbled incoherently and looked around. “Eddie,” she murmured. Then turning around, she frantically shouted, “Eddie!” and began running in the opposite direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan watched her go, mouth slightly agape. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell am I supposed to make of that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Whatever.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It didn’t matter who ‘Eddie’ was or why this crazy old woman was wandering around the forest alone at night. He huffed and threw his head back. Should he laugh? Maybe start sobbing? Why is this happening to him? He stared through the canopy of leaves into the patches of bright stars that lie beyond. Stan took a deep breath of cool night air, held it for what felt like hours, and then let it out. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I should be getting back.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://fateserpent88.tumblr.com/">come yell at me on tumblr</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hi! Sorry it's been so long. I finally finished online school and decided to take a brake from my responsibilities for a while and accidentally took... How many months has it been now? </p>
<p>Anyway, this chapter is a mess, but I'm proud of it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Flynn woke up to quiet, panicked murmuring and a cold hand shaking his shoulder. “They’re here for you,” Beverly half-whispered as he opened his eyes and sat up. It couldn’t have been more than five in the morning judging by the weak light filtering through the foggy window. He swallowed and nodded in acknowledgment. Eddie was already awake, but still lying down and very drowsy. He grunted incoherently and tugged the blankets even tighter around his face and shoulders, and that alone nearly caused Flynn to forget the direness of the situation because all he could think was </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute, cute, cute.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Get it together, Tozier. This isn’t the time.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eddie, sweetie,” Bev whispered gently, “you need to leave.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> The boy squinted his eyes and rolled onto his back. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “We have to go,” Flynn told him as he climbed over him to get out of bed. He then grabbed his glasses off the nightstand and shoved them onto his face gracelessly. “No time to explain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Eddie groaned but didn’t argue. He sat up and got to his feet, picking up the pile of hair on the ground without saying anything, and Beverly led them out of the room. Although he was cooperating, Flynn could tell that the shorter boy hardly knew what he was doing; his mind still clouded with sleep. As they moved into the hallway, he watched as Eddie’s eyelids drooped and he nearly ran right into the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hall ended in a slim door, and Bev opened it to reveal a closet that was surprisingly spacey compared to the entrance. Once they were inside the small room, she shut the door behind them again and opened a cupboard to her left. Behind a line of empty jars on the first shelf, fixed onto the wall in the very back, was a lever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn screwed up his face in confusion, and, as she pulled it down, his unspoken query was answered. With a few clicks and a low rumble, the far end of the closet opened up to reveal a dusty staircase, leading downward. Eddie’s eyes widened, suddenly seeming more awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Okay,” Bev said, nodding at the two of them, “follow that tunnel. It’ll take you to the Kenduskeag Dam.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Woah,” Flynn awed, “I didn’t know you guys had this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Yeah, well,” Beverly shrugged impatiently, then pulled him into a short hug. “Good luck.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> He hugged her back briefly, then stepped back and towards the secret passage. “Thanks for everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Bev smiled at him, then turned to Eddie who was looking suspiciously at the staircase. “I hope you figure things out,” she said, “Now, go. We’ll stall them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> He made his way over to Flynn who had begun descending the staircase, still looking confused. Flynn guessed that he hadn’t fully woken up yet. Just before they left, the dark-haired boy turned back and grabbed a frying pan from where it was sitting on the floor alongside other dishes and pots, “You mind if I take this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Beverly stood by the lever ready to pull it again as soon as they were out of sight. She wrinkled her nose in slight confusion. “Kind of, yeah, but go ahead, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Neat,” He responded, then disappeared out of view with the pan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> When the two boys reached the bottom of the staircase, a long, dark, cave-like tunnel stood in front of them. The passage above shut with a defined </span>
  <em>
    <span>click</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a lit lantern sitting on the floor next to the stairs illuminating a few feet in front of them, and the rest of the tunnel faded into darkness. Now that they were in an unfamiliar setting, Eddie finally seemed to be coming to his senses, mind put on alert.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shorter boy dropped his coils of hair and let it drag behind him as Flynn picked up the lantern in one hand and they began walking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Sometime the night before, Mother Kaspbrak had become aware of Eddie’s disappearance. She’d been sent into a panic after coming across that young castle guard so close to her tower. Without thinking she blindly retraced a day's length of walking back through the forest at more than double the speed she’d come. The only thing she could think was if they found him she was doomed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she finally made it back, calling Eddie’s name at the crack dawn until her voice was hoarse. The terror in her stomach continued to grow as only silence followed her calls, and she resorted to an entrance that hadn't been used in a decade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> With strength that had no other explanation than magic, she reached her grubby hands around a large patch of vines and ripped it away, revealing a narrow, partially caved in stone doorway. She moved the fallen stones aside and squeezed into the entrance as soon as there was a space big enough between the bricks. Her robe snagged on one of the sharp-edged as she did, causing her to stumble, and scrape the palm of her hand against the rough surface in an attempt to catch herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Ignoring the pain, she climbed the spiral stone stairs on the inside of the tower, rats and lizards scurrying away from her heavy footfalls. When she reached the top, panting, she lifted the tile hiding the secret entrance and climbed into the room. For the first time in eighteen years, the tower was abandoned. The first thing Sonia did when she arrived was storm into Eddie’s room to see if by some miracle he was just deeply sleeping and somehow had not heard her yelling. The covers were perfectly pulled over his mattress; wrinkles as absent on the blankets as he was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Just to be sure, she checked the rest of the tower frantically, but there wasn’t anywhere else for him to be. As she tore apart the place, throwing aside curtains and opening cupboard doors, something flashed in the moonlight and caught her eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Unsure of whether or not she’d really seen it, Sonia strode over to the staircase between the main room and the door to Eddie’s. She then crouched down and lifted the edge of the bottom stair, revealing a hollow space underneath. The perfect hiding place. She almost hoped to find the boy hiding there, but the area was much too small to hide someone, even him. What she did find hidden in the gap between the floor and the stair, were a series of small, dried out flowers and leaves, and a brown leather bag. The thing held inside it was evidently what had caught her eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> She pulled the thing out tentatively, heart racing. It was cool metal against her sweating palms, one of them close to bleeding from where she’d scraped herself. She stared at it for a few moments, momentarily surprised by her discovery. It took her a full minute to process the object in her hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a crown. A very nice, well-made, and expensive-looking crown. A very </span>
  <em>
    <span>royal</span>
  </em>
  <span> looking crown. Her lips pursed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No. No- how? Surely he doesn’t know… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A thought clicked in her mind and she threw the crown aside, barely registering the ringing of the metal hitting stone as she grabbed the bag and opened it so forcefully that it nearly tore down the seam. There wasn’t much inside; a few misplaced twigs and leaves, along with a fine piece of cloth. The one other thing it contained was a crumpled ball of tan paper. She pulled it out with a little more caution that she had used to throw open the bag, but her movements were still desperate and clumsy. She fiddled with the paper for a moment, hands shaking, before she was able to unfold it and straighten out the wrinkles on the stone floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded faster in her chest as she glanced over every detail of the drawing that was etched into the page. Big, bolded letters stared up at her and she felt her blood run cold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>WANTED: FLYNN RYDER, DEAD or ALIVE.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only thing Sonia could think was: </span>
  <em>
    <span>So this is the man that stole my flower. Flynn Ryder.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her face quickly heated in rage, and she was tempted to rip the paper into shreds, but if she were going to find this man, she was going to need to hold onto it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stood up in an amazingly calm manner considering the murderous thoughts flying through her mind, and carefully lifted the crown from its spot on the floor a few feet away. She stowed it, along with the now neatly folded wanted poster, back in the leather bag, and slung it over her shoulder. Then, on her way back to the stairs that would lead her back to the ground, she slid open the bottom drawer of one of the built-in cupboards. It looked empty, but she lifted the bottom, being the only one to know of this secret compartment, and found what she was looking for. A flawless silver dagger glinted in the moonlight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One sweating palm wrapped around its handle, and with the swish of a dark, torn cloak, the lonely tower was once again void of life.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> The dark-colored walls of the tunnel shone slick with groundwater seeping lazily through the rock and mud, and Eddie shivered as the temperature continued to drop. He was still barefoot and scorned himself for not asking if Ben and Beverly had an extra pair of boots. At least the ground there was just smooth dirt and stone, unlike the forest floor, which held unexpected dangers beneath its soft grass, but maybe it just felt that way because his feet were numb from the cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> The orange flame from the lantern flickered further down the tunnel as they progressed, and Eddie could’ve sworn the walls were becoming more narrow. It was unsettling, and he was suddenly all-too-aware of how deep they must be underground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What if the roof caved in?</span>
  </em>
  <span> a treacherous voice in his head wondered, and his stomach twisted with anxiety over the whole situation. Realistically, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>shouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen. The tunnel was well dugout and had support beams every few yards, but with all of the other stressful things weighing down on him at the moment (</span>
  <em>
    <span>including probably thousands of tons of rock and earth</span>
  </em>
  <span>), it was becoming difficult to keep his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Desperate for a distraction, he finally broke the silence in which they’d fallen into shortly after they left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “So, you’re… a thief.” It wasn’t a question. He’d seen the paper, listened in on peoples’ conversations. Eddie could put two and two together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Flynn glanced at him, eyebrows raised slightly. After a moment, he looked forward again and responded, “Yeah. I’m a wanted thief. So I couldn’t hide that one forever.” His tone was nonchalant, but Eddie detected an undertone of defensiveness in his words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> He scoffed, lightly, “So that’s why we’re escaping law enforcement through a secret underground tunnel that goes on for miles?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Yep,” he said, drawing out the e and popping the p. A drop of water landed on the bridge of his nose, right below his glasses, and he scrunched it up, momentarily going cross-eyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>For someone who’s got such a high price on his head, he’s not the most... well</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he stared as Flynn continued to scrunch up and stretch out his face, seemingly trying to get the drop of water to roll off his nose. When it finally did, he cheered under his breath, then grinned sheepishly as he noticed that Eddie had been watching the whole time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> The latter shook his head and they continued walking for a while before speaking again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “I, uh... I had this dream last night,” he started, again wanting to tear his mind away from the eerie atmosphere of the tunnel. The taller boy looked at him curiously, so he proceeded; “It was similar to one I’ve had before on multiple occasions. Where I’m out of my tower, and I go to see the floating li- lanterns. But... this time, everything was so much more vivid, you know?” Flynn nodded. “Uh, and, well, some things were a little different. Usually, my mom is there with me, and the lights don’t look like lanterns.” He paused. “And also you were there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Flynn looked as if he wanted to comment on that, the beginnings of a devilish grin spreading across his face, but seemed to think better of it and smoothed over his features. Eddie squinted at him as they walked, then shook his head and said, “Anyway, it just got me thinking. When I was back in my tower, I had this image of what it would be like. A perfect moment that I’d imagined so many times that I could paint it a thousand times. But... there’s so much more to my world now. I’ve finally seen trees up close, felt cold water on my feet- I even saw a rabbit!” He laughed a little at how ridiculous that sounded. From what Flynn had said, rabbits were probably a common thing to see. But it was still a big deal to </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so he smiled nonetheless. However, had he been looking at the lanky boy beside him, he would've witnessed something truly rare; quite possibly the softest smile Flynn Rider had ever let betray his charismatic facade.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Eddie took no notice though and spoke with the confidence of someone who’d been trying his whole life to get someone to listen to him. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been blind to the possibilities. There’s so much down here and, well, I’m glad I left.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Does that mean you’re re-thinking going back to your mom when all this is over? Because if so, I gotta tell you, the life of a criminal isn’t easy.” He said it in a joking tone as if he was completely convinced Eddie would never consider such a thing, but the small boy hesitated, and an odd uncertainty seemed to fall over him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Y’know,” Eddie started, and the former raised his eyebrows, “I think- wait, do you hear that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> Both of them looked back, confused, and sure enough, there was a faint rumbling, growing in the cavern walls. Faint, but certainly there. After a moment, it grew louder, and, as they watched in mounting fear, a flickering light slowly became visible in the tunnel behind them. Flynn’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly began grabbing armfuls of Eddie’s locks off the ground, and silently urging him to start running.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>… </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> When Stan Uris had been awoken at approximately </span>
  <em>
    <span>four-in-the-fucking-morning</span>
  </em>
  <span>, after a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>late night of looking for his idiot criminal ex-best friend, only to be told the guy had been seen hanging around the Snuggly Duckling while he was freezing his ass off in the middle of the forest, he nearly lost it. If it hadn’t for the fact that the person who’d woken him up had been an adorable stuttering mess, he certainly would've stomped down there and strangled Richie on the spot. But it was extremely difficult to stay upset in the presence of Bill Denbrough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “S-sorry,” he had said, ducking his head as Stan’s glare slowly dissipated. Stan had been found sitting with his back against a wall in a hallway, where he had promptly passed out as soon as he’d gotten back to the castle. It wasn’t by any means a comfortable position, but anything seems better than standing when you only get a mere three hours of sleep. Bill had held out his hand, helped him to his feet with ease, and politely explained the situation. Then, of course, he began to question Stan on how exactly he’d ended up passed out in a hallway at four in the morning. As much as Stan wanted nothing more to complain extensively to someone about the night he’d had, that was unfortunately where he’d had to cut the conversation short because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to miss his chance again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Promising to catch him up on everything later, Stan exited the castle and rode towards the forest on the back of one of the royal family’s pure white steeds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, as he approached the Snuggly Duckling, he felt adrenaline pumping through his veins. He was excited, and he was nervous. He had Richie cornered. He would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>let him escape again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He just hoped Ben and Beverly wouldn’t try to help him escape. He was still rather good friends with the pair, and really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span>, didn’t want to get them in trouble too. It was wishful thinking though because Beverly and Richie were practically platonic soulmates. There was no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> Bev </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>try to protect him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed and tried to calm his nerves as he hopped off the back of the horse and stepped toward the front doors. He could hear the clopping of horse hooves not too far behind him and knew more soldiers would be arriving in moments. He wanted to be the first to confront them, so now was his chance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to push open the doors, but unsurprisingly, they were locked tight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Here goes nothing.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mustering up all his confidence, he lifted his right hand and knocked sharply three times on the large wooden door. It was Ben who answered, brow slightly furrowed and squinting at the morning sun getting ready to peek over the horizon. “Hello, Stan,” he said, a faint hint of confusion carrying over in his voice. He looked Stan over casually, and though his face held its usual soft friendliness, Stan could tell he was being sized up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man had also opened the door in such a way that left little room for Stan to see into the diner; the first obvious sign that he was trying to hide something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan got straight to the point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been given word that Flynn Rider, a criminal to the royal family, has been spotted staying here at your diner as of last night. If you refuse to let me investigate, or try to harbor him in any way, you will be taken into custody.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben’s eyebrows raised slightly, and he opened the door wide enough for Stan to enter. “Stan-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan pushed past him and continued, “I have reinforcements arriving shortly, so if things get physical, you will quickly be outnumbered.” Maybe he was taking things too far. He knew Ben and Bev wouldn’t try to hurt him; they were his friends too, after all, but he had to make his intentions clear. As nice as it would be to catch up with them, he was on royal business. It was important.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben sighed as Stan began to search the table and bar, letting his tone slip into something more neutral and resigned than before. “He’s not here. He and his friend left last night after getting some food.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan paused. “His friend?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the short blond guy with the long hair.” Ben always had a very specific look when he said something that he wasn’t sure he was supposed to say. He’d unconsciously make himself smaller, and purse his lips a little, making sure to avoid eye contact. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So he’s got </span>
  </em>
  <span>another </span>
  <em>
    <span>accomplice. Great.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After poking his head behind the bar counter again, making absolutely sure no one was hiding in the shadows, a thought hit him, and he glanced over to the doors leading to the rest of the small building. “Where’s Beverly?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s still in bed,” Ben answered, just a bit too quickly, “It’s still very early, you know, and some of us had a very long night trying to handle a bar full of people.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It sounded believable, but that wasn’t going to stop Stan from searching every inch of the place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, the rest of the soldiers could be heard arriving with more horses, and Ben went back to the door to let them in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few moments, Beverly joined them as well, looking as if she had gotten even less sleep than Stan. Despite this, she greeted him happily and pulled him into a tight hug. Caught off guard, he froze up for a moment, unsure of how to react, before briefly hugging her back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I get you guys anything?” she asked. “Breakfast? Or, at least some drinks?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I-“ he sighed and let a small wry smile pass over his lips, “hard pass, Bev. I need to know where Richie is.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll probably regret that later, I haven’t eaten since.. oh. Yesterday morning. Yikes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at him with a small amount of sorrow in her eyes, as if she secretly knew everything he was going through. “He’s not here, but you’re welcome to search the place. Just don’t break anything, kay?” She nudged him gently in the side, then went to stand beside Ben, who put an arm around her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the next hour and a half, Stan and the other soldiers looked under every table and chair, behind every barrel and beneath the beds. Every closet was empty but for food storage and extra supplies. A few of the soldiers were sent out to scour the area around the Snuggly Duckling, in case he had escaped before they could find him. It was only when Stan was becoming quite convinced that there was no way Richie was still there that he finally found something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had been checking one of the closets again, making sure he hadn’t missed something (</span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe he’s somehow hiding in the cupboards?</span>
  </em>
  <span>) and he noticed something strange when he opened one of the cupboard doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was an odd-looking lever positioned behind a few empty glass jars. Heart rate picking up again, Stan gently pushed the jars aside and pulled down the lever. A loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>clunk</span>
  </em>
  <span> followed. Stan jumped. After a series of clicking and groaning from seemingly inside the walls, a small trap door opened up at the back of the closet. It was dark inside, and cool, damp air drifted out of it. It appeared to lead underground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gotcha.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Within moments he called together the rest of the soldiers and led them to the secret passage. It was quite clear that this is how Richie has escaped, and Stan’s two friends didn’t even try to hide it once he’d figured it out. A few of them lit torches, and they descended into the tunnel one by one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan, being the last to go, turned to Ben. “Sorry that I yelled at you. It’s just- I have to do whatever it takes to get that crown back, no exceptions.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Ben responded with a half-hearted smile as he pulled him into a one-armed hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waved goodbye to Bev on his way down, and as he went she called after him: “Be careful!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he descended into the tunnel, the cold, damp air quickly stripped him of the warm feeling they’d left him with. He had orders. He would do </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever</span>
  </em>
  <span> it took to return the prince’s crown</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He must’ve had quite the head start, so if we’re going to catch him, we need to get a move on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn and Eddie skidded to a stop just outside the entrance to their tunnel, as the path dropped off steeply without any sort of bridge to continue onto. Peering down at the bare rocky ground that was many, many feet below them, Flynn noticed that there probably used to be one, judging by the splintered path of wood that lay there, contorted like a slain beast. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Good thing I brought this pan</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought as his heart raced and he tightened his grip on the handle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are we gonna do?” Eddie gasped, breathing heavily. The guy definitely had god-tier upper body strength from climbing around everywhere and swinging on things with his </span>
  <em>
    <span>hair, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but was severely lacking in stamina when it came to running.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glancing around, Flynn spotted a long, tall structure that winded from the wooden dam throughout the canyon. It came close enough to their ledge that maybe they’d be able to reach it if- “We’ll have to try and fight them off. Then maybe while they’re distracted we could try to swing away on one of those beams.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie opened his mouth again, clearly unsatisfied with the lack of clarity, but before he could protest, the soldiers were upon them. With none other than Stan Uris in the lead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stan! What a relief! I assume you </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> here to save me from all these royal soldiers?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan didn’t so much as throw back a witty remark. His heart sank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where’s the crown?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t have it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean you don’t have it?” Stan asked through gritted teeth, drawing his sword.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn backed up a foot or two and Eddie shrank back behind him. Stan’s gaze flickered to the smaller boy, and it seemed to be the first time he had even noticed he was there. His eyes widened when he saw the armfuls of hair he was still carrying. But instead of asking questions, Stan looked back to Flynn, and his group advanced towards them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hand over the crown.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gripped his frying pan. “Listen, man, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t have it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stan must’ve gestured to the others because, at that moment, some of the soldiers surged forwards and attacked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barely realizing what he was doing, Flynn swung the pan at one of them, hitting them square in the head and knocking them out cold. He gaped at the thing, surprised at the power behind it, and swung again. He hit another one in the stomach, winding them, and they fell to the ground. There weren’t a lot of soldiers- only six as far as he could tell- so maybe he’d actually be able to handle this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sword came swinging down on his left side, and he blocked the blow with the flat side of the pan, then whacked the sword out of the soldier’s hand with the lip. The man who’d attacked him stumbled back, cradling his injured hand, and Flynn switched his attention to Eddie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He watched in awe as the boy tripped one of the soldiers with his hair and sent them hurtling down the steep slope into the canyon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s gonna hurt.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Narrowly dodging a sudden sword jab at his shoulder, he turned to see Stan finally joining the battle. “Woah,” he commented, grinning, “be careful with that thing, you might end up cutting someone.” Stan swung again, and Flynn blocked it with his pan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you not see that that’s the </span>
  <em>
    <span>point</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Swing. Miss. “You’re always acting like this whole thing is a joke, but it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Rich.” Swing. Dodge. “You committed a serious-" slash, </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span>, “-crime! Against the royal family! You took something important to them, and now-" jab, duck, “-it’s my responsibility to return that crown. We are not-" swing, dodge, “-on the same side. We’re not-" jab, </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang,</span>
  </em>
  <span> “friends, and this-" swing, miss, “isn’t-" jab, dodge, “a game!” Slash. Hit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn gasped and clapped a hand to his bicep, frying pan clattering to the ground. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it stung like </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he stood there in shock as he felt his own warm blood seep through the sleeve of his shirt</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck, man!?” He shouted, eyes wide and fearful. Despite being the person who inflicted the wound, Stanley’s face almost perfectly mirrored his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well what did you </span>
  <em>
    <span>think</span>
  </em>
  <span> was gonna happen!?” Stan’s sword hung weakly in the air as if the man had completely forgotten he was holding it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn recovered first. Taking advantage of his distraction, he grabbed the hilt of Stan’s sword with his bloodied hand and twisted it out of his grip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was only when the sword went sailing over the side of the path that he realized how close they were to the edge. A sudden wave of nausea made him wobble on his feet a little, and he quickly looked away from the drop-off and over to Eddie. Eddie, who he’d accidentally left to deal with the other soldiers that could still fight, was handling himself surprisingly well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eds!” He yelled. When Eddie looked at him, he gestured at the wooden structure, and Eddie nodded, making his way over to him. As he lassoed his long golden hair to one of the beams and plastered himself to Flynn’s side, wrapping one arm around his waist, Stan continued to stare at his blood-smeared fingers with enough intensity to make anyone slightly uneasy. Only once the two of them leaped off the ledge and into the air did Stan break out of his trance. He watched them swing through the air for a second, then blinked, shook his head, and began shouting orders at the soldiers who were still conscious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn’s stomach lurched as, for a second, they were free-falling without the support of Eddie’s makeshift grappling hook. Then, instead of crashing into the rocks below, they swung forward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They landed on the other end of what used to be a bridge and began to run. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After putting some distance between them and the soldiers, Flynn spotted another tunnel entrance near the bottom of the canyon and tugged Eddie to a stop. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a convenient way to get down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes landed on the wooden structure, which nearly intersected the bridge ahead of them. It sloped downward, cutting underneath where the rest of the bridge used to be, and on top, it carried a long connection of metal pieces, transporting water from the dam. It was quite large, certainly deep enough to swim in, and if he and Eddie could get into it, it would carry them down to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Follow me,” he said, jogging over to where the structure was within jumping distance. “Look, if we jump in, it’ll take us over to the entrance of that tunnel.” He took a few steps back and prepared to jump. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie took one look at the algae and grime-covered inside of the metal and instantly stopped in his tracks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He swallowed. Glanced behind him, then forward again. The soldiers seemed to be using loose planks and beams to form a path over to them, so if they didn’t hurry, they were screwed. “There is no way I am getting in that water.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn gaped at him incredulously. “Why not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s filthy! Disgusting! Do you even know what kind of diseases and germs live in there? There’s probably everything from mold to animal feces stuck to the bottom! If we jump into that water, we’ll probably catch the plague and die!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rolled his head back, exasperated. “Listen Eds, I know this makes you uncomfortable, but if you want to get out of here, you have no other choice.” He grabbed Eddie’s hand in his own and pulled him forward until they were close enough to jump. Holding his glasses to his face so that he didn’t lose them in the water, he added, “You can do this, alright? We’re not going to die. It’ll be fun, even. Just like jumping into a lake.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie nodded absently, obviously having no clue what jumping into a lake was like, but trusting that Flynn could somehow get him out of this. “Okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. Alright. Three, two, one-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Splash!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the two of them sputtered to the surface, the current of the water had carried them so quickly that they were already several feet from where they’d hit the water. Flynn clenched his teeth in pain as the water seeped into the cut on his arm, and Eddie, oblivious to his injury, scrambled to grab onto him so that they wouldn’t be separated. He gave out a pained laugh. “See? Not so bad-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud cracking noise interrupted him, and over the rim of the metal, he watched in horror, as the Kenduskeag Dam’s wooden exterior splintered and cracked, the full force of the water held behind it washing into the canyon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, shit, shit, shit, </span>
  <em>
    <span>shit-“</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt as the wooden supports underneath them started collapsing in on each other as massive amounts of water crashed into the contraption. All at once, the flowing water sloshed to one side as the metal containing it tipped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were very lucky (</span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Flynn could not believe how lucky they were) that the contraption was near the ground when it sent them over the edge. There was only a short fall to the ground, and they could’ve easily landed on their feet if there hadn’t been a massive amount of water being dumped with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They landed in a tangled mess; Eddie still clinging to him for dear life, and they both scrambled to their feet as quickly as possible to avoid being crushed by the descending wooden beams and metal interior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn would have thought that the other boy’s hair (now thoroughly soaked) would be slowing him down as they ran, but for some reason, it didn’t appear to be bothering him in the slightest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dashed into the tunnel going into the side of the canyon, Eddie pulling the rest of his trailing hair in with them, and only then did Flynn turn to see what was happening. A tsunami of water was tearing through the place, knocking over everything in its path. The bridge, the water transportation-contraption-thing, even any large rocks that jut up into the air. Eddie tugged on his arm, trying to get him further into the tunnel, but he was mesmerized by the destruction. He knew in the back of his mind that if they didn’t get going, the water would soon reach them, and they too would be washed away, but it was hard to look away from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As it drew close, it collided with a large stone pillar, not too far from where they stood, and it descended toward them. Before he knew what was happening, the pillar crashed into the tunnel entrance, effectively cutting off most of their light source.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They scurried away from it and automatically huddled together to watch as water began to spew from the gaps underneath the mass of stone. “Okay, well,” Flynn gasped, “at least that’ll stop all the water from rushing in immediately.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah… yeah, I guess,” Eddie muttered, voice surprisingly even and quiet, given the circumstances. “Now, come on. We still need to hurry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, then realized Eddie probably couldn’t see him well enough to notice, so he added, “Okay.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shorter boy was still gripping his hand like a lifeline, so he led the way further into the tunnel. However, as his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized something, and his stomach lurched worse than it had when they had previously jumped off that ledge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a matter of seconds, lightheadedness crept over him and felt like he was going to throw up, his heart beating a million miles a minute. Either that or it had stopped completely, he wasn’t quite sure. One way or another, he was panicking. And he was panicking because he had just realized: their tunnel was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a tunnel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, Eddie,” he muttered, lips hardly moving, “are you seeing what I’m seeing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt the boy tense up beside him. “No? What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-m, well, not sure how to tell you this, but uh, this tunnel is caved in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie scoffed, “Yeah, I noticed, dipshit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flynn shook his head again, despite knowing the movement was lost in the darkness, “No, Eddie, I mean- the other side too. We’re trapped.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> pause. Complete silence other than the imminent rushing of water from behind the blocked off entrance. Muddy water began to pool around their ankles.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah, I can see that now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were, quite literally, running out of air. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>fast.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, we have to find a way out- I mean- there’s gotta be something, right? Maybe we can move some of the rocks or- uh, come on, we have to try.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The water had already reached mid-way up his calf. They didn’t have much time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them hurried to the rock pile. They scrambled around trying to move rocks out of the way and rolling them down the pile, but most of them were far too big to budge. Still, they kept at it until the water grabbed at their toes, even though they now sat at the very top of the pile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe there’s a weak spot in the wall,” Flynn said, voice cracking. “Somewhere down there where the water’s making a path through the rocks-“ He dived into the murky water. He couldn’t see anything. All he could hear was water rushing from every direction. He couldn’t even feel a distinct current- just dark freezing water, and sharp rugged stone. As he felt around with his hand, he scraped one of them on a sharp edge and felt it cut into his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He rushed back up for air, nearly losing his glasses in the process. This time, even touching the ceiling of the cave, the water was all the way up to his calves again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t see anything- it’s pitch black down there. There’s no way we’ll be able to… there’s no way.” Regardless, Eddie dove under the surface himself, and Flynn caught the back of his shirt and pulled him back up before he could hurt himself too. “No. Listen. There’s nothing down there. It’s no use.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He let go of the shorter man’s shirt and found his hand, motioning for them to sit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they did, something in the dwindling air settled around them, and they could feel it in their chests. They were trapped. There was no way out. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to </span>
  <em>
    <span>die</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And there was nothing they could do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was almost peaceful. There was nothing they could do, and there was nothing they ever </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do again. Nothing to do but sit, leaning against each other, wishing there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>they </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> do. It was a lot to take in such a short amount of time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hadn’t made it to the festival to see the lanterns like he’d promised. They hadn’t even made it into town. The crown he stole was still hidden somewhere at the top of Eddie’s tower- probably never to be seen again. Eddie’s mom… Oh boy. She was probably going to lose her mind if she hadn’t already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Worse still, he and Stan had left on bad terms. Flynn knew the guy was just doing what he thought was right. And so what if he wanted to mess around with him a little. It had been fun at first, but after the fight they’d just had outside the secret passage… well, clearly whatever playful rivalry they’d had been going on before had been brought to an end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wondered what happened to Stan. Surely the flooding dam had affected him as well. He and those other soldiers were probably the ones who caused it. After all, they had been messing with those loose bits of wood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And finally, more awful than anything else- he had let Eddie down. He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span> they’d make it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Promised </span>
  </em>
  <span>to keep him safe. And he had failed. It wasn’t about the crown anymore- it never really had been, Flynn supposed. He had a knack for getting sidetracked from his original mission whenever something more interesting came along, and oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>man</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was Eddie the most interesting thing that had ever happened to him. Every single moment they’d been together, Eddie always managed to surprise him. To impress him. To make him want to drop everything and follow this short, golden-haired, brown-eyed boy to the ends of the earth, except </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the one who got to show him it all. He had been given the opportunity to introduce someone to the world, and he’d fucked it all up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a while, a small voice choked out beside him, almost too quietly for Flynn to hear, “I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>so sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s my line.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no. This isn’t your fault. I had one job, and it was to help you live your dream, and I shouldn’t have gotten you mixed up with my problems. This one's </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> on me.” He assured, leaning closer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eddie didn’t seem to be listening. “I should never have left my tower. I shouldn’t have ever left my mother. She was right- I- I’m not strong enough- I’m sick, I’m dying, I-” his breaths became fast and short, and built up until with one choked sob, he said, “I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Flynn.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Eddie is sick, Eddie is dying. Eddie isn’t strong enough. All lies. Lies, lies, lies. Lies that Eddie has been told his whole life. No more. No more lies. You deserve better, Eds. You are strong. You are not sick, you are </span>
  </em>
  <span>not</span>
  <em>
    <span> dying. Eddie, you are smart and strong and brave and you don’t deserve to be lied to. Eddie, I’ve been lying to you too, and </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry. My name is not Flynn Rider... Eddie, my name is</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Richie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My real name is Richie Tozier. I… You deserve to know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Oh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ice-cold water reached his chest now, soaking right into his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Only four people in the whole world had known his real name, and now he’d just made five. It didn’t feel right. He had started using Flynn Rider because it felt freeing. He’d come out of nowhere, no one knew who he was, and he could get away with anything he wanted. But it just no longer fit. Flynn Rider was a loner. He had a few friends, but he never stuck around for long. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Richie</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t want to be alone anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Eddie said, in such a tone that said he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> think it was okay. He had been lied to every day of his life. He hadn’t expected that to change just because he’d left his tower. Now that- </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt Richie’s heart far more than the freezing water ever could. “Everyone has their secrets,” he continued, then let out a small laugh, “I have magic hair that glows when I sing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie’s train of thought faltered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Huh?</span>
  </em>
  <span> That didn’t make sense. The water clawed at his Adam’s apple “You have… magic hair? That </span>
  <em>
    <span>glows</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Richie could have seen anything right then, he was certain he could have watched Eddie’s eyes widen with the realization.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have magic hair that </span>
  <em>
    <span>glows</span>
  </em>
  <span> when I sing!” As the water lapped at their chins, Eddie breathed out a song- the first verse to a tune Richie had never heard before: “Flower gleam and glow, let your magic shine, make th-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The water reached their mouths and they both tilted their heads up for one, </span>
  <em>
    <span>final </span>
  </em>
  <span>gasp of air before they were completely submerged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Richie opened his eyes, and like before, everything was pitch black. Or… not? Something was definitely glowing- faintly at first, but as he swam towards it, it brightened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Soon, beautifully suspended hair illuminated the whole cave. Richie tried to shout in surprise but remembered last minute that he was underwater. Eddie stared at him with wide eyes, and then they watched as a length of his hair drifted downwards, where more and more of a current began to build up as the water no longer had anywhere else to go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dove towards it frantically, and with all the strength and energy they had left, lifted and shoved rocks out of the way. With every stone moved, the current became stronger, but Richie wasn’t sure it was going to be enough. He was quickly becoming lightheaded again, and wouldn’t be able to hold his breath much longer. Then, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally-</span>
  </em>
  <span> the current became so powerful that the entire barricade of rocks collapsed and burst out into open air, bringing the two along with it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fun fact: I leave it on a cliffhanger not only to annoy the audience, but also so that I will have the inspiration to keep writing :'D</p>
<p>Hope you enjoyed!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stan comes to a realization.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What the fuck, man!?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well what did you </span>
  </em>
  <span>think</span>
  <em>
    <span> was going to happen!?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A bloodied hand twisted the sword out of his grip, smearing red across his fingers. He’d nearly forgotten he was even holding it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Eds!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley gazed at his trembling hand. At the thick, dark blood, dripping between his fingers. It wasn’t his blood. It wasn’t the blood of an enemy. It was the blood of a friend. Drawn by his own weapon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was shouting all around him, but the noise was muddled and drowned out by a persistent ringing in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was going on with him?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was blood on his hands. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Literal </span>
  </em>
  <span>blood. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Richie’s blood.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He suddenly felt very sick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his vision he watched as Richie and the boy with the freakishly long hair swung away from the soldiers. He glanced up numbly and watched them land on a wooden structure far out of the soldiers’ reach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked hard a few times, trying desperately to bring himself back to reality, but something in his mind seemed to be telling him that he was already there. The feeling of his sword hitting its mark had felt like a bucket of ice-water in his face, shocking him back to the complicated truth to his situation. It wasn’t black and white, and never had been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without thinking, Stan shouted orders (because what else was he supposed to do?) to find a way across the gap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What exactly had changed along their storyline that had caused such turmoil between them? When had this gone from playful banter to what could very well end as a fight to the death? </span>
  <em>
    <span>When did everything become so real? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t keep doing this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley turned back towards the tunnel. Whether he was about to walk back through it or demand that they end the chase, he wasn’t sure, but he never got to find out. As he turned, a thunderous splintering noise boomed in his eardrums as the Kenduskeag Dam gave way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An avalanche of broken wood and water burst through the waterway into the canyon, spilling out onto the cliff on which the soldiers were standing, due to the proximity. Stan’s shouts were mixed with the yelling of the other men, as cold, dirty water swept them off their feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan landed on his back momentarily but was immediately picked up again by the roaring current. He was completely submerged in the rushing water as it dragged him quickly toward the edge of the cliff, and he scrambled to grab onto something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything at all,</span>
  </em>
  <span> because if he went over, he wasn’t sure he’d survive the flood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he was pulled over the edge, his fingers found something sticking out of the side of the rock, and he grasped onto it desperately. It took all his strength not to let go. The rushing water quickly died down though, as the cliff itself became out of reach from the rapidly draining dam, and he gasped for air as soon as the water no longer covered his head. As he did so, he was able to watch the flooding canyon just long enough to see two figures dart inside a hole in the cliff- a cave or a tunnel perhaps- before a stone pillar crashed into the rock above it, causing a rain of boulders to barricade the entrance. Stan’s stomach lurched horribly at the sight, but just as fast as it had happened, the whole scene was submerged in forty feet of rushing water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even through his own perilous situation, he couldn’t help but hope that they were alright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few moments, the water began to even off, slowing enough that it stopped spilling over the side of the cliff. Water dripped off the stone, the broken bits of wood, the back of Stan’s neck. Morning sunlight glinted off the wet earth, and he felt his hand begin the slip away from the crooked root that was keeping him from the angry, churning water below.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. It can’t end like this. There’s so much I still have to fix.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His arm trembled under his own weight, and with more strength than he knew he possessed, he tightened his grip and brought his other arm up to grasp the root. Then, he pressed his feet against the side of the cliff and began to climb up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At some point, he somehow managed to get one leg over the root (which was really more of a branch with how big and sturdy it was). Using the leverage, he lifted his torso onto the edge of the cliff and snatched at the weeds and pebbles, frantically pulling himself back onto stable ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gasped and painted furiously, collapsed on the ground, feet still hanging over the edge. Every single one of his muscles hurt, and he knew he would have bruises on his shins and across his stomach for weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heartbeat pounded in his skull as he pulled himself to his knees with shaking arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Water was still rushing into the canyon, but the flow had lessened significantly. As Stan got to his feet, he looked out over the newly formed river in awe. It was hard to imagine that the Kenduskeag Dam had been holding back that much power, but knowing it had, it was probably only a matter of time before the thing collapsed on its own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He again glanced at the spot where Richie had disappeared. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to fix this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few stressful minutes of careful planning, Stanley had come up with an idea for how he’d get across. The water level had begun to rise as it evened out, and it had slowed enough that he probably wouldn’t get dragged under by the current. The dam was nothing but oversized splinters at this point, bits of wood getting washed down the river. Some pieces were nearly large enough for Stan to sit on if he wanted to, and they floated, so maybe he could use one as a makeshift raft. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was part of a beam that had gotten caught in the entrance to the tunnel rather than being swept away, and Stan hauled it over to the cliff edge. When he was ready, he’d push it over, and then jump in after it. The water was still quite a ways down, and it reminded him of when he and his friends used to go swimming at the lake. Back when they were all young and dumb and thought every unfamiliar plant would kill them if touched.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not every fuckin’ plant is poison ivy, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stanley</span>
  <em>
    <span>.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yep. Same old Richie. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I really going to do this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Stan swallowed the sour taste in his mouth. Memories of cheeky smiles and warm skin flooded his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A playful shove towards the edge. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Counting to three, he picked up one side of the beam and shoved it over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A plummeting sensation.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His feet had left solid ground. He was airborne. Wind rushed upward through his hair, the opposite feeling of being dragged down by the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And then- SPLASH!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stan sputtered to the surface, blinking water out of his eyes and searching frantically for the wooden beam. It had been carried a few meters away and he swam towards it quickly, kicking his bruised legs as hard and as fast as his body would allow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The freezing water felt like a shock to his system, causing his survival brain to kick in. As soon as he reached it, he threw his arms over the wood and exhaled heavily. The rest of his body went limp, the cold sapping away his energy, and he relished in the brief moment of rest. He knew it wouldn’t last long; he’d have to make his way across the flooded canyon before the water carried him too far.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is crazy, this is stupid, I’m crazy, why am I doing this?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew why. He had to. He didn’t know if he could live with himself if he didn’t fix what he had done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He weakly dragged his legs through the water, slowly propelling himself forward. The current was quite strong and he needed to get across the gap as soon as possible, but he didn’t know if he was strong enough. Still, he persisted, gradually regaining his strength with each kick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crossing the canyon felt like an eternity. He would close his eyes and kick as hard as he could for what felt like a few minutes, only to discover he’d only made it a fraction of how far he’d imagined when he opened his eyes. Regardless, he persisted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was startled so bad when he felt his toes brush against the muddy rock of the other side that he nearly lost his grip on his wooden beam. (He’d had his eyes closed again)</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He sighed in relief, letting go of the beam on purpose this time, and clambering onto the </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> steep shore before the current could drag him further down the canyon. After pressing his back against the stone slope for a minute, Stan assessed his surroundings. The wall of the canyon went up quite a ways, some parts too sheer to hike up. The rocks went up like giant natural stairs; steep, then a bit of a sloped edge repeating and repeating all the way to the top.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He began the ascent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His muscles cried out as he climbed the slope, but he ignored them, keeping himself going by promising he’d take a break when he reached the top. Every once in a while, he had to scale the sheer rock face, pushing down the temptation to look back and see how far he might fall if he lost his footing, as well as the panic that came with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than resting when he finally reached the ridge of the canyon, Stan clambered to his feet and stood tall, amazed at what he’d accomplished in the last hour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hurt a friend. Perhaps even lost him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Survived a flood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Abandon his duties as a royal guard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Swam across a river. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Climbed a mountain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What was next? Taking a twelve-hour nap, he hoped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he took a deep breath and headed towards the small river that wound its way through a valley on the other side of the ridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A trail of broken branches and stomped down foliage followed in the wake of one furiously angry and desperate Sonia Kaspbrak. Her eyes were bloodshot from stress and lack of sleep, and heavy bags of skin drooped under her sunken eyes. It was morning now; she had been walking all night, and the sun, shining through the dappled leaves, stung her eyes. Her joints were beginning to ache, but she continued forward sluggishly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only when she heard muffled voices in the distance that she started paying attention to her surroundings. The trees were slightly less dense here, and large boulders dotted the landscape. It was behind one of these boulders that the speaking was coming from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her raspy breathing quickened, and she hurried forward, as silently as she could manage. Could it be him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she neared the rock, she could make out two voices. Neither were that of her precious flower. She scowled in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was about to turn back and search elsewhere before she was spotted, but one of the voices uttered a name that caused her to freeze in her steps, ears ringing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, hello,” she said from on top of the boulder. They turned to face her, drawing weapons from hidden pockets in their clothes. She didn’t so much as flinch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had climbed up onto the boulder while they were talking, meanwhile catching onto a few more words of their conversation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn Rider… lost Victor because of him… trust him with that fucking crown- </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She held up the leather bag, and they started, clearly familiar with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” snapped the slimmer of the two, murder flashing in his eyes. “Where did you get that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Calm down,” she said in a deceptively passive voice. She pulled out the crown. Their eyes widened, and their fists tightened around their weapons. “No need for violence, boys, you can </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>the crown.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tossed it down to them, and the man who spoke snatched it out of the air greedily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was going to offer you something worth more than a thousand crowns, but… you seem not to want my help anyway, so I’ll just be off then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She motioned to climb back down the boulder and leave, but the man held up a hand and said, “Wait. What do you mean? What could you </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> offer us that’s worth more than the crown of the lost prince?” There was a bit of a growl in his voice, and he sneered in a way that said if she was wasting his time, she’d regret it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled, unfazed. Pulling out the wanted sign from the bag she purred, “It starts with getting revenge on your old friend, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Flynn Rider</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry that this chapter is so short! Do not worry! Tomorrow I'm posting the next one and it'll be much longer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Richie could barely take another breath before he and Eddie were submerged once again. It was an unpleasant sensation, and it became very difficult to tell which way was up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as he got his bearings and popped his head above the surface, gasping for air and shaking wet curls out of his eyes, he looked around for Eddie, who was struggling to stay above the surface. Clearly, swimming in deep water was not one of his strong suits. It made sense; being trapped in a fifty-foot tower your whole life could do that to a person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paddled over to him and put a supporting arm around his side, then dragged them both to shore. They climbed up onto the muddy bank, gasping and coughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my- Oh my god, we made it! We fucking made it!” Eddie exclaimed, helping Richie up into the grass beside him. Before the latter knew what was happening, he felt himself get pulled into the tightest hug he’d ever experienced. His heart flip-flopped in his chest, and his jaw hung in the air as if he’d been about to say something. What was I going to say?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he was finally released, he sat back in the grass and grinned, blinking as water dripped from his hair into his eyes. “Yeah, we did it, Eds. I told you I’d get you to the lanterns and that’s what I’m going to do. Not even a collapsing dam can stop Flynn Rider.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Richie Tozier,” Eddie corrected. Richie’s grin widened at the use of his real name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus,” Eddie continued, standing up and looking back at the river, “wasn’t I the one who technically got us out of there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. Right. Magic, glowing hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, uh,” Richie’s eyes followed the length of Eddie’s hair all the way down to the tips; which were still blurrily trailing in the muddy water. Shit. “Eds, buddy, you’re gonna have to explain that whole magic hair thing to me later, but first you gotta help me with a little problem: I can’t find my glasses.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After both wandering along the banks for a while, and Richie even diving into the water and feeling around the slimy rocks at the bottom, Eddie finally shouted triumphantly and reached into the water, pulling out a grime-covered pair of glasses. Richie reached for them, gratefully, but Eddie danced away from him, insisting on cleaning them off first. When he was done, however, instead of giving them back immediately, he shoved them onto his own face and then ran back over to him until he was so close that Richie could make out every freckle on his face without the assistance of his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I look?” The boy teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie squinted his eyes as if he still couldn’t see Eddie, only inches away from him, pretending that his breath hadn’t just caught in his throat at the proximity, and said, “Probably adorable, but I can’t see shit without my glasses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s cheeks tinted pink, and he rolled his eyes. He then removed the glasses and carefully slid them onto Richie’s face until they bumped the bridge of his nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie would be lying to himself if he kept trying to ignore the relentless pounding of his heart in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, smartass. Now what do you think?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve only known you for a day and a half, but I think I might be in love with you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he reached out and pinched Eddie’s cheek with one hand. “Aw, there’s the Eddie Spaghetti I know! Cute, cute, cute!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The boy swatted him away, scrunching up his face. “Hey! Quit messing around.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like you didn’t start it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this water is still rising, we should get to higher ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made their way back up into dry land, and Richie could see that yes, the water was definitely rising. It was already at least a foot above what it had been when they’d first arrived. He took a moment to assess the situation; they were alive. They were, for the most part, unharmed (Richie did have a big cut on his arm and a smaller one on his hand, but they had stopped bleeding by now, and he didn’t want to worry Eddie). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If they were going to higher ground anyway, it’d probably be best for them to just head in the direction of the town. It would be a long and uncomfortable hike, considering they were both still sopping wet, but it was necessary if they wanted to make it to town by tomorrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” he said finally, “I think we should get a move on. It’s still quite a ways to the festival.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They began their journey by trekking up the sloping hills lining the river. The ground was much rockier than it had been in the lush forest they’d traveled through before, and there were also fewer trees on this side of the dam. Fewer trees meant less shade, and as the sun drew higher into the sky, they could feel the heat radiating on their backs. Their wet clothes clung to their bodies as they dried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They only stopped twice to take a break in the shade, and Richie was really starting to wish they’d gotten some kind of breakfast back at the Snuggly Duckling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He estimated that it was a little past noon when they finally found a place to stop and make camp. It was a nice, level clearing, with some trees nearby, and a stream a few yards downhill. There was also a large boulder on one side of the clearing, and when he climbed up and peered over the top, he was met with an excellent view of the castle, across the lake, just on the other side of their hill.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was perfect; they could set up camp and relax there for the rest of the day, then make their way into town first thing in the morning. It was Eddie’s birthday tomorrow after all, and Richie wanted to make sure they had enough time as possible to enjoy what the town had to offer because there was so much more to the festival than just floating lanterns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, while Eddie found a semi-shaded spot on the boulder, Richie started gathering some rocks so that they could set up a fire pit. Eddie said that he should probably at least take another break before he got to work, but Richie reasoned that the sooner everything was set up, the sooner they could just relax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he got all of the stones, he set them together in a haphazard circle that, when he took a step back to look at it, was really more of a wonky oval. He shrugged it off and went to go drag over a log from the nearby trees so they’d have a better spot to sit. When he returned, he sat the log down by the fire pit, and Eddie got up from his spot to come have a look. It seemed the boy had started gathering some firewood while he’d been waiting, and Richie smiled in gratitude because, in all honestly, his hand and shoulder were stinging rather badly at this point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before they sat down though, Eddie yelped, and his eyes went wide. There was a bloody splotch smeared across the side of the log. Richie cursed, realizing that the wound on his hand must have reopened while he was dragging the log into the clearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Eddie demanded, marching over to him and turning his hand over so he could see the cut. His brows were furrowed with concern, and he stared at Richie with his big, brown eyes, mouth slightly agape. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- uh, my hand got cut on a rock while we were trying to find a way out of that cave,” he admitted, suddenly feeling rather guilty he hadn’t said anything earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not a big deal- it’s not bad. I’m fine. I didn’t want you to worry about me.” He paused for a moment then sheepishly mumbled, “There’s also one on my shoulder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie craned his neck to look at the gash across his left bicep and gasped. You could only see it through the rip in his sleeve, and most of the blood had washed out in the water, leaving only a faint, pink stain on the fabric, so Richie wasn’t too surprised that it’d gone unnoticed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie sighed, but didn’t let go of Richie’s hand, and, to his surprise, the boy sat them both down on the log and began to section off a certain amount of his hair. He then proceeded to wrap it around Richie’s bloodied palm like a bandage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie cringed as he felt his blood coat the fine, golden strands. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, Eddie supplies, unhelpfully, “My hair doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> glow.” He didn’t tear his attention away from what he was doing, leaving Richie to try and figure out what that was supposed to mean. When he finished covering the wound, he began to sing the same song he’d sung in the cave: </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flower gleam and glow,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Let your magic shine,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Make the clock reverse,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Restore what once was mine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heal the wounds that plague me,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alter Fates’ design.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Save what has been lost,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Restore what once was mine-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What once was mine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Each word was carefully articulated, and as Eddie finished the second verse, the glowing strands reached his injured hand, and a light, warm feeling flowed down his arm and through his fingertips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie would have been in awe of how beautifully Eddie had just sung what sounded kind of like an incantation if it weren’t for his anticipation to see what he’d just done to his hand. It felt fine… better than fine, really. It wasn’t even stinging anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Eddie began unwrapping his hand, he looked back up at Richie and said, slowly, “Just… don’t freak out, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie raised his eyebrows but nodded. When the last strands of hair fell from his fingertips, he brought his hand in closer and peered at it carefully. His jaw dropped. There wasn’t a drop of blood in sight. In place of where the cut used to be, there was nothing but smooth, untouched, calloused skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened his mouth to speak. Then closed it. Then opened it again. After a moment, he managed to get out: “How… how long have you been able to do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie shrugged and pulled a few strands of hair between his fingers, fiddling around with them nervously, “My whole life, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s-“ Richie’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat, “that’s amazing, Eds. Can you… y’know, do anything else? With it? I mean- uh, if not it’s really cool either way, I- you just- um…” he trailed off awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie gave him a small smile, obviously noticing his struggle, and said, as if he hadn’t, “Sometimes whenever my mom is feeling tired or starts to get wrinkles on her face, she’ll ask me to sing for her. It seems to help.” Richie furrowed his brow but didn’t say anything as Eddie continued, “And, I guess that’s why I was so weird about it when you first found my tower and all. My mom has always told me that people in the outside world knew nothing but greed, and if they knew about my gift, they would try to cut my hair and sell it for money, or keep it for themselves. But-“ he tilted his head forward and swept his hair away from his neck, where a small curl of dark brown hair rested at the base of his head, “when it’s cut, it turns brown and loses its power.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie nodded, sobered by his tale. After a moment, Eddie let out an, “Oh!” and reached over to look at Richie’s arm again. When the latter realized what he was doing, he gently stopped Eddie with his other hand. Eddie gave him a puzzled look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh- Not this one. I… I think I deserve this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Truth be told, Richie wasn’t quite sure why he was so hesitant to let Eddie heal the gash in his arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While they’d been hiking; Richie had thought a lot about what could’ve happened to Stan. Was he alright? Had he set off the dam on purpose? What if the last time Richie ever got to see him was right after Stan had attacked him? It didn’t feel right just erasing that like it hadn’t even happened. And Stan’s words had packed a punch. They’d stung almost even more than the actual sword wound itself. He had put Stan through so much, and for what? So that he could fuck around and get rich one day? In all honesty, getting the crown from Eddie was the last thing on his mind, and had been since the Snuggly Duckling. He didn’t even want it anymore. Could he maybe just give it to Stan as he’d asked? (That was, of course, if Stan had made it out of the flood.) There was no way it would be that easy to get Stan to forgive him, or for the kingdom to clear his name, but could it maybe be worth a shot?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course, none of this matters if Stan didn’t survive the flood.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That thought had made Richie’s stomach twist painfully with anxiety and regret.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was given this cut by one of those soldiers, and me n’ him used to be really good friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Stan, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Well, I don’t know if he survived that whole catastrophe, and even though I know he probably hates my guts... I’m still worried about him.” A sympathetic look crossed Eddie’s face, and Richie felt bad for bringing down the mood all of the sudden. So the boy shrugged it off and chuckled lightly, and pushed his worries deep, </span>
  <em>
    <span>deep</span>
  </em>
  <span> down where no one would have to face them but himself. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s hella tough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie grinned again, seemingly reassured, and Richie stood up and ruffled his hair. It didn’t work very well because of how long it was, and only managed to make it a little staticky. It caused Eddie to laugh a little though, so it didn’t really matter. “Now enough of that. I’ve got a really fun day planned for us tomorrow, and it’s going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> worth the trip. We can even get a fire started here in a minute. First, though, I’ve got to go properly clean out this cut and wash my shirt in the stream down the hill… Will you be alright here by yourself for a bit?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie hesitated for just a second, a slightly anxious look briefly caught in his eyes, and Richie was ready to drop everything if the boy said no, but then he nodded, confidently. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> need me though, I will be </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> down the hill, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep. I got it. I am going to be okay. I promise”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pinky promise?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie wrapped his little finger around Eddie’s and gave him a lopsided grin. “Pinky promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so weird,” Eddie said, but he was smiling too. Richie raised an eyebrow expectantly, and Eddie rolled his eyes before repeating him. “Pinky promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie pumped his fist in the air and shouted, “Yeah!” then made a big show of waving goodbye in as many ways possible while he waltzed back toward the path that led to the stream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>... </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie watched Richie wave and salute and blow kisses at him until he disappeared down the hill. He grinned widely. Eddie still didn’t really know too much about people in general, but sometimes it was pretty clear that some of Richie's antics were purely a tactic to get him to laugh. The great thing was: it worked every time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How did he get so lucky? How had it been that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> person to discover Eddie’s tower happened to be the most amazing person ever? There was so much about the boy he just didn’t get, but rather than being put off, Eddie was simply intrigued. Somehow, the criminal that climbed through his window one fateful morning, who he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>bribed</span>
  </em>
  <span> into taking him to see the floating lights, had managed to make him feel more safe, and heard, and seen that his own mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eddie bear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A horrible shiver ran down Eddie’s spine at the sound of the sickeningly desperate cry. He turned around to see mother Kaspbrak herself, standing amidst the trees on the opposite side of the clearing, as if Eddie had summoned her with his thoughts. His mouth hung agape in surprise, which quickly began to mix with something akin to dread.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I thought he would never leave!” She ran towards him, arms outstretched, and, in his shock, he barely had time to take a single step back before she pulled him to her chest and squeezed him like she was trying to break every bone in his body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Ma?” He managed to get out after a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She released him (sort of) and held him at arm’s length so that she could look at him up and down. “Oh, Eddie, what did that Ryder boy </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> to you? You must have been terrified!” She said with a concern that didn’t show at all in her wild eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- how did you find me?” Eddie audibly heard his voice get quieter as he spoke- </span>
  <em>
    <span>smaller</span>
  </em>
  <span>, as if completely beyond his control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darling, Dear, the whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>kingdom</span>
  </em>
  <span> is after that boy.” She stroked his hair as if it were made of velvet, “All I had to do was ask around, and anyone who had seen him was </span>
  <em>
    <span>eager</span>
  </em>
  <span> to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s mother had brought him a small square of velvet once. It had been the softest thing he had ever held in his own two hands. For a week or two, he carried it with him everywhere in his pocket and would run his fingers over it whenever he was bored. One day though, he’d been particularly upset with his mother for asking him to repaint over the sunflower he’d painted on the wall near the fireplace. He had argued with her and asked her why- he was proud of that piece and didn’t want to ruin it. Instead of giving him an answer, she scolded him for talking back, and he got so upset that he climbed out the window and onto the roof.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later that night, when he came back, the sunflower had been painted over anyway, and she demanded he give her the velvet square and go to bed early. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never saw it again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For months afterward, he couldn’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened if he’d just painted over the damn wall. It had just been a square of fabric, but it had been interesting and new, and now, because he didn’t listen, it was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now though, Eddie was no longer wishing he’d listened to her. Instead, Eddie was wishing that he’d had the guts all those years ago to fight back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you don’t have to worry about that dirty thief anymore! I’m here for you and we can go home now! Where it’s safe!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-“ he tensed as her hand slid down and curled tightly around his wrist. His throat went dry. “I don’t think you understand,” he rasped, “Ri- Flynn didn’t kidnap me from my tower, Ma.” She tried to pull him forward but he dug his heels into the coarse dirt underneath his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at him with a sudden, cold glare. “What are you saying, Eddie?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I went with him willingly. He said he’d show me the floating lights! He’s a good person, and he’s been good to me- he’s the only friend I’ve ever really even had.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> friends, Eddie, you have me. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> the only one who can keep you safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t need to be kept safe. The world isn’t anything like you told me, Mother, I can handle it. Most people are good at heart, and Flynn- he </span>
  <em>
    <span>cares</span>
  </em>
  <span> about me, Ma. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>listens</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a wanted criminal! He doesn’t care about you! All he ever does to get what he wants is lie and deceive people! He’s been feeding you lies so that you’ll trust him, but in the end, he’s going to use you to get what he really wants. How could you believe him over me? I’m your own mother! I have taken good care of you for eighteen years, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what this world is really like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie felt a strange pang of guilt flood his gut as she spoke. All she had ever done was take care of him, and tell him she loved him, and on the day he’d left, she had been setting out on a long trip, just to get him the rare, expensive paints he’d asked for. How did he respond to that? By leaving without warning and putting his life at risk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re sick, Eddie. You’re weak and confused. That boy is a disease and you’ve been </span>
  <em>
    <span>infected</span>
  </em>
  <span>.“ She began to walk back towards the trees, pulling Eddie along with her, and he mindlessly stumbled after for a few seconds before he came back to reality and forced both of them to a stop. His mother looked at him in disbelief, “I can cure you! I can fix you. Just come back home with me and everything can be alright again!” Her face flushed red with emotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Eddie said, quietly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, no, no.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yes, it had certainly been unfair of him to run away after all she’d done for him, but she had also lied to him. And he still </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go see the lanterns. He hadn’t come all this way for nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s not a disease, Ma, he’s a living, thinking person. Not a ruffian, not a greedy monster. Just human. Like me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” She hissed between gritted teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” This time he was louder. More confident. “I can’t go back with you. I trust Flynn. I care about him. Tomorrow, at the festival, we’re going to see the floating lights, like he promised. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> lied to me, Ma. They’re lanterns, not stars, and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to have known that. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re wrong about Flynn too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie expected fury. Anger. Force. Instead, a look of fearful agony washed over his mother’s face, and tears welled up in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t do this to me, Eddie!” Her grip tightened desperately around his wrist. It hurt. He tried to pull away. “All I ever do is try to protect you, and this is how you repay me? You’re sick! You’re infected! That dirty, disgusting criminal is </span>
  <em>
    <span>lying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to you, and you’re too naive to see it! People don’t change, Eddie! He’s going to leave you as soon as he gets what he wants!” Tears spilled over her cheeks, and she sobbed, loudly. In her momentary weakness, Eddie twisted out of her grip and backed away. “Don’t leave me, Eddie-bear!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to, Ma. I’m sorry. I’m not going back with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sniffed crossed her arms, the anger Eddie had been expecting before finally gleaming in her eyes. He flinched. “Fine. You won’t listen to me? Fine! But when that boy abandons you and you finally see the world for what it is, it won’t be my fault because I warned you!” She ripped a leather bag off her shoulder and threw it at Eddie, who caught it easily. “There. If you’re so confident in your new friend, give that to him. See what happens!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie gaped at the object in his hands. He hadn’t even recognized it until she’d thrown it at him. Richie’s leather satchel. He opened the top and perked inside to see that, yes, the crown was still there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How did she… </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s the only reason he’s helping you, isn’t it? If you really believe that he cares about you, give it to him. You’ll see. You’ll see that I was right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he could respond, the woman marched away into the trees. Eddie chased after her for a moment, not expecting their interaction to end so abruptly, but it was as if she’d simply disappeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He trudged back over to the log and sank down onto it, staring at the satchel he’d been given. Making that deal with Richie back at his tower seemed like it had taken place ages ago. In fact, through all the chaos, he’d nearly forgotten about it entirely.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Would Richie really just leave if he got this back? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No. That’s ridiculous. He and Richie were friends. They’d been through so much together. It really didn’t seem like something he would do. But… it was possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That boy is a disease and you’ve been infected.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie took a deep breath and peered around for a decent place to hide the satchel. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> plan on giving it to him; he trusted Richie after all, and his mom didn’t know anything about the boy. But a seed of anxiety has been planted in his skin by his mother’s words, and it was eating away at his flesh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just in case</span>
  </em>
  <span> everything went wrong… if, for </span>
  <em>
    <span>some reason,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Richie did decide to abandon him… Eddie would wait until the festival. Until after they’d seen the lanterns. Because then, at the very least, both sides of the deal will have been met.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eddie made his way down the slope that led to the stream, quickly learning to tread lightly on the rocky earth. There were far more small rocks than there were in the forest, and they kept stabbing into his bare feet uncomfortably. Most of the plants on the hill were dry and yellow, and, unlike the lush grass in the forest, did not create much of a cushion for his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He carefully winded his way along the path, and soon the babbling of the stream was within hearing distance. When he spotted it, he noticed that it was considerably smaller than the one he had first come across. Its bed was made up of small pebbles and gravel, rather than the round, slippery stones and mud of the other. It was quite narrow, and Eddie could have easily hopped over it if he’d wanted to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the path followed a small but steep slope around a bit of a corner, and Eddie held on tight to the branch of a nearby shrubby tree so that he wouldn’t slip on his way down. As he rounded the bend, he finally caught sight of Richie, spread out, shirtless (aside from a length of fabric wrapped around his bicep), on his back on a large, flat boulder that slightly overhung the stream. His eyes were closed, and his shirt was draped over the edge of the stone, drying in the afternoon sun. The shirt appeared to be one sleeve short, and Eddie assumed that it had been recycled into the length of cloth that Richie now had wrapped tightly around his bicep. His glasses and shoes had also been taken off and set to the side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As for the boy himself, Eddie couldn’t help but notice the freckles that absolutely covered his arms and shoulders. They stood out against his pale skin, and Eddie couldn’t help but pause in his steps and stare for a moment. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’re like stars.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and continued toward the rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he got closer, Richie opened his eyes and looked his way, giving him a huge dopey grin once he was spotted. “Hey, Eds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’re you doing?” Eddie asked, his neck suddenly growing warm. He momentarily forgot about the rocky ground and hopped to the side awkwardly as the gravel poked uncomfortably into the soles of his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just basking in the sun,” Richie said, closing his eyes again and turning his face back towards the sky. Eddie clambered onto the boulder and sat down next to him. “Also waiting for my shirt to dry out.” After a moment of silence, Eddie moved to lay down on the rock as well, and Richie peeked one eye open momentarily and grinned wider. “Come to join me, Eds?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie turned towards him, grin faltering slightly. “Everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie nodded and lifted the corners of his lips into what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It seemed to be convincing enough because Richie relaxed again and rested his head back down on the rock. He patted the space next to him, gesturing for Eddie to move closer and lay down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scooted over to the spot. The other boy had, again, closed his eyes, and as Eddie leaned back against the boulder, he thought that he’d never seen anyone so peaceful-looking. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How does he do it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… why’d you change your name to Flynn?” Eddie finally asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie didn’t answer for a moment, and Eddie briefly wondered if he’d somehow upset him. But then the boy shifted his gaze towards him, a soft, almost guilty smile on his face. The look was so vulnerable that Eddie did a mental double-take and held his breath, as if whatever Richie said next might be too quiet to hear. “I think… I was afraid, I guess. And insecure. I wanted to escape my past and be someone great, and I thought I’d never be able to do that if I kept holding onto my doubts about what I was doing. So, I made up this character- well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t really come up with it. Ironically enough, I kinda stole this character too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friend Bill used to come up with the greatest stories, and one of them featured a character by the name of Flynn Rider, the bravest, most charismatic, most handsome man in the kingdom, who could do anything and go anywhere he wanted. So I tried putting on this persona of confidence and fearlessness, and it helped. A lot. I was able to forget about my past and pretend I didn’t care about the things I used to. I became even more reckless than before.” He paused, then added, “There was also the added bonus that no one would recognize me until I became famous for stealing stuff.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie scoffed lightly, and Richie gave him a goofy smile before continuing, “Eventually though, things got more complicated. My own friends started to become obstacles in my way, and what used to feel like freedom started to feel more like loneliness. I started doing stuff just to get attention, and getting myself into more and more trouble every day.” He sighed. “It just doesn’t fit anymore. The name, I mean. I don’t want it anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’ll retire it back to Bill if I see him tomorrow so that he can finish his story.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie, unsure how to respond, just watched as a relieved smile slowly spread across Richie’s face, as if he hadn’t even realized how much that had been weighing on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie returned the smile, glad his friend had been able to get that off his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for telling me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I needed to,” Richie sighed, turning his face back up at the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie did the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A peaceful silence followed their conversation, accented by the quietly bubbling stream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun had begun dipping closer to the horizon, and its golden rays soaked into his skin. His frantic heart began to slow, his mind stopped racing. Richie wouldn’t abandon him. His mother was wrong. She had lied before and she was no doubt lying again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared into the gorgeous blue depths of the sky, and after a few minutes, all thoughts about the conversation with his mother began to fade. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shut his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was considerably lower in the sky by the time he blinked his eyes open again. Long shadows had begun to stretch across the landscape, though their rock was still sunny. Richie was sitting up next to him, cross-legged and hunched over, inspecting the shirt in his hands which was most definitely dry by now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did I doze off? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Eddie thought, absently. He didn’t really remember falling asleep, but then again, everything had kind of faded into a blur after a few minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie began fitting the shirt over his head, having a somewhat awkward time putting his arms through as it now only had one sleeve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie snorted and sat up when Richie finally managed to get it on correctly. He looked pretty silly in his lopsided shirt. The boy looked over at him and grinned sheepishly, looking a tinge embarrassed. Now that he was facing him, Eddie could also see that his hair had dried in a funny position, random curls sticking out at all angles (far more than they usually did).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached over and ruffled the boy’s dark hair, trying to smooth it down but the curls just sprang right back into place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Richie froze when Eddie touched his head, and Eddie thought this was rather uncharacteristic of him, as he’d shown little restraint in being very physically affectionate ever since they’d left the tower. To Eddie’s relief, the boy didn’t pull away at all, just stared at him curiously instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your hair’s a mess,” Eddie said after returning his hand to his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hadn’t noticed,” Richie grinned, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Just like that, he was back to normal. It happened so quickly that Eddie wondered if he’d completely imagined Richie’s odd reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tall boy stood up and stretched, hands reaching towards the periwinkle sky. Eddie stood as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How ‘bout we head back and build a fire? We don’t really have much in terms of food, but tomorrow we could get up early and head to town-“ he paused briefly, squinting at something in the brush. Eddie’s heart rate picked up, and he glanced around, hoping he hadn’t just spotted something deadly as Richie bent down and grabbed his glasses from the rock. He fixed them onto the bridge of his nose and looked back to where he’d squinted before. Then his face lit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huckleberries!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was like Eddie had never tasted anything so good in his life. This probably wasn’t true; his mother could cook up a really good soup when she wanted to, but after walking all day on an empty stomach, the small, dark berries currently staining their fingers (and Richie’s shirt) purple where </span>
  <em>
    <span>heavenly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie had been extremely skeptical at first, certain that they were toxic and that Richie was an idiot, but alas, he was wrong. When Richie finally convinced Eddie to try some, he’d already eaten about a bush full himself and the shorter boy figured that if they were poisonous, they might as well go out together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie’s mouth watered and his stomach ached as he put the first one in his mouth. It was sweet and tart, and his jaw tightened at the sourness, but he swallowed and immediately bent down for more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now they were back at the top of the hill, where the log and fire pit had been set up, now with a small flame inside the circle of stones. The two of them had spent about ten minutes picking berries and collecting them in Richie’s shirt, which he’d pulled up slightly to use as a makeshift basket. When they couldn’t find any more in their small patch of bushes, they headed back up the path. (Richie had let Eddie wear his boots when he noticed Eddie’s struggle navigating the rocky terrain, and Eddie wasn’t quite sure if he liked the sensation or not. At least they protected his feet.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie now sat on the log, watching Richie dart around the clearing, eagerly gathering twigs and branches and really, anything flammable to throw in their little fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was starting to get dark, and the sky had turned from periwinkle to pale indigo in the time it had taken Richie to build the fire. Soon, it would be too dark for Richie to see the branches on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, the boy pranced over to their spot, dropped a moderate pile of forest debris on the ground next to their log, and began tossing bits of wood into the fire. Eddie smiled and looked up at the sky. His eyes took a moment to adjust (he’d just been staring into a fire) but once they did, Eddie noticed a few dim stars beginning to dot the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, he felt Richie plop down on the log next to him, so close that he pressed right up against his side. The physical touch filled Eddie with a warmth much more substantial than the heat wafting off the temporary flames in front of him, and he leaned into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed like that for a long time, especially as the temperature started to drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, as the fire became nothing but a few glowing embers, Richie got up to figure out the sleeping situation. Unfortunately, this time there was no soft bed waiting for them. There wasn’t even any soft grass like there was in the forest. Just dirt, gravel, and small clumps of dry grass every few feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After clearing the ground of most of the gravel and twigs, Richie decided that they’d sleep in the space between the log and the fire pit, as anywhere else would feel too vulnerable and exposed to anything that might be lurking in the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eddie was unhappy with the idea of sleeping anywhere on the ground, to which Richie just gave him a sympathetic look and said, “Sorry, Eds. You’re just gonna have to deal with this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Richie layed down, Eddie continued to sit on the log for a few more minutes until the lack of physical contact made the chilly air nearly unbearable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lied down next to his friend, finding that it was warmer near the ground, where the log protected them from the slight breeze, and the stones from the fire pit were still hot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyelids drooped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long</span>
  </em>
  <span> day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scooted closer to Richie so that their arms were touching, and let his eyes drift shut. The last thing he saw before falling asleep was a dark sky filled with more stars than he’d ever been able to see at once.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, yeah.<br/>Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. The next few chapters will probably not be quite this chill, as we've got some important plot points coming up...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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